The association between dietary insulin index and load with depression, anxiety and stress in university students: a...

Mental disorders are considered as one of the most important concerns among university students, potentially impacting their quality of life and academic performance. Limited data are available regards the association between dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL) and mental disorders especially in university students. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between DII and DIL with depression, anxiety, and stress among students affiliated with Kashan University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study included 330 university students from Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2023. A validated Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) was applied to assess the mental health of participants. Dietary intakes were obtained using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-117). Multivariable analyses were performed to adjust for potential confounding factors. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Participants' mean age and BMI were 21.4 years and 22.8 kg/m², respectively. In this study, after adjusting for a wide range of possible confounding variables, individuals who were in the highest quartile of DIL had 45% significantly lower odds for depression than those in the lowest quartile (95%CI: 0.31, 0.99). However, there was no statistically significant association between DII and depression (95%CI: 0.4, 1.28). No other statistically significant relationship was observed between DII, DIL, and anxiety and stress in university students (P < 0.05). In conclusion, DIL may be associated with depression in university students. Higher DIL is associated with higher accessibility for tryptophan in brain cells, which could be related to a better mood. Further studies with a larger sample size and stronger designs, such as cohort studies or clinical trials, are needed to confirm our results.