Eur J Nutr. 2026 Feb 12;65(2):45. doi: 10.1007/s00394-025-03808-5.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Diet plays an important role in the development of depression, but the impact of dietary patterns on mortality in individuals with depression is unclear. This study investigated the associations of six established dietary patterns with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adults with depression.
METHODS: We included 5,368 UK Biobank participants (enrolled 2006-2010) with depression and had at least one 24-h dietary assessment after their diagnosis. Dietary data were collected at baseline and through four online follow-ups. Six dietary scores were derived: dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), dietary inflammatory index (DII), healthy eating food index-2019 (HEFI-2019), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), mediterranean diet score (MDS), and World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) food score. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality.
RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of approximately 4,370 days, 342 participants died, including 57 from CVD and 159 from cancer. Each quintile increment in DASH (HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.85-0.99]), HEFI-2019 (HR, 0.90 [0.83-0.97]), and MDS (HR, 0.90 [0.83-0.97]) was associated with lower all-cause mortality. HEFI-2019 was also significantly associated with lower CVD mortality (HR, 0.79 [0.64-0.96]). Reduced mortality was largely driven by higher fish intake and lower consumption of non-whole grains, fats, free sugars, and sodium.
CONCLUSION: Among individuals with depression, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and HEFI-2019 was linked to reduced mortality. These findings suggest that healthy dietary patterns may play a supportive role in the long-term health of individuals with depression.
PMID:41677888 | DOI:10.1007/s00394-025-03808-5