Restriction of meat, fish, and poultry in omnivores improves mood: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Omnivorous diets are high in arachidonic acid (AA) compared to vegetarian diets. Research shows that high intakes of AA promote changes in brain that can disturb mood. Omnivores who eat fish regularly increase their intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), fats that oppose the negative effects of AA in vivo. In a recent cross-sectional study, omnivores reported significantly worse mood than vegetarians despite higher intakes of EPA and DHA. This study investigated the impact of restricting meat, fish, and poultry on mood. FINDINGS: Thirty-nine omnivores were randomly assigned to a control group consuming meat, fish, and poultry daily (OMN); a group consuming fish 3-4 times weekly but avoiding meat and poultry (FISH), or a vegetarian group avoiding meat, fish, and poultry (VEG). At baseline and after two weeks, participants completed a food frequency questionnaire, the Profile of Mood States questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales. After the diet intervention, VEG participants reduced their EPA, DHA, and AA intakes, while FISH participants increased their EPA and DHA intakes. Mood scores were unchanged for OMN or FISH participants, but several mood scores for VEG participants improved significantly after two weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Restricting meat, fish, and poultry improved some domains of short-term mood state in modern omnivores. To our knowledge, this is the first trial to examine the impact of restricting meat, fish, and poultry on mood state in omnivores.

Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in seventh day adventist adults.

BACKGROUND: The physical health status of vegetarians has been extensively reported, but there is limited research regarding the mental health status of vegetarians, particularly with regard to mood. Vegetarian diets exclude fish, the major dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), critical regulators of brain cell structure and function. Omnivorous diets low in EPA and DHA are linked to impaired mood states in observational and experimental studies. METHODS: We examined associations between mood state and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake as a result of adherence to a vegetarian or omnivorous diet in a cross-sectional study of 138 healthy Seventh Day Adventist men and women residing in the Southwest. Participants completed a quantitative food frequency questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaires. RESULTS: Vegetarians (VEG:n = 60) reported significantly less negative emotion than omnivores (OMN:n = 78) as measured by both mean total DASS and POMS scores (8.32 +/- 0.88 vs 17.51 +/- 1.88, p = .000 and 0.10 +/- 1.99 vs 15.33 +/- 3.10, p = .007, respectively). VEG reported significantly lower mean intakes of EPA (p < .001), DHA (p < .001), as well as the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid (AA; p < .001), and reported higher mean intakes of shorter-chain alpha-linolenic acid (p < .001) and linoleic acid (p < .001) than OMN. Mean total DASS and POMS scores were positively related to mean intakes of EPA (p < 0.05), DHA (p < 0.05), and AA (p < 0.05), and inversely related to intakes of ALA (p < 0.05), and LA (p < 0.05), indicating that participants with low intakes of EPA, DHA, and AA and high intakes of ALA and LA had better mood. CONCLUSIONS: The vegetarian diet profile does not appear to adversely affect mood despite low intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Sodium benzoate-rich beverage consumption is associated with increased reporting of ADHD symptoms in college students: a pilot investigation.

OBJECTIVE: Sodium benzoate, a common additive in popular beverages, has recently been linked to ADHD. This research examined the relationship between sodium benzoate-rich beverage ingestion and symptoms related to ADHD in college students. METHOD: College students (N = 475) completed an anonymous survey in class in fall 2010. The survey assessed recent intake of a noninclusive list of sodium benzoate-rich beverages and ADHD-related symptoms using a validated screener. RESULTS: Sodium benzoate-rich beverage intake was significantly associated with ADHD-related symptoms (p = .001), and significance was retained after controlling for covariates. Students scoring ≥4 on the screener (scores that may be consistent with ADHD; n = 67) reported higher intakes (34.9 ± 4.4 servings/month) than the remainder of the sample (16.7 ± 1.1 servings/month). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that a high intake of sodium benzoate-rich beverages may contribute to ADHD-related symptoms in college students and warrants further investigation.

Vitamin C status and perception of effort during exercise in obese adults adhering to a calorie-reduced diet.

OBJECTIVE: Moderate energy restriction and exercise are recommended for effective weight loss. Obese individuals oxidize less fat and report a higher perceived exertion during exercise, characteristics that may negatively influence exercise behavior. Because vitamin C status has been linked to fatigability, we compared the effects of vitamin C supplementation on self-reported fatigue and on the respiratory exchange ratio and the Ratings of Perceived Exertion scale during moderate exercise in healthy obese adults adhering to a hypocaloric diet. METHODS: Twenty adults (4 men and 16 women) were stratified and randomly assigned to receive 500 mg of vitamin C (VC) or placebo (CON) daily for 4 wk while adhering to a vitamin C-controlled, calorie-restricted diet. Feelings of general fatigue as assessed by the Profile of Mood States questionnaire were recorded on a separate day from the exercise session at weeks 0 and 4. Participants walked on a treadmill at an intensity of 50% predicted maximal oxygen consumption for 60 min at weeks 0 and 4, and heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, and Ratings of Perceived Exertion were recorded. RESULTS: After 4 wk, the two groups lost similar amounts of weight (≈ 4 kg), and the respiratory exchange ratio was not altered by group. Heart rate and the Ratings of Perceived Exertion during exercise were significantly decreased in the VC versus the CON group (-11 versus -3 beats/min, P = 0.022, and -1.3 versus +0.1 U, P = 0.001, respectively), and the general fatigue score was decreased 5.9 U for the VC group versus a 1.9 U increase for the CON group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: These data provide preliminary evidence that vitamin C status may influence fatigue, heart rate, and perceptions of exertion during moderate exercise in obese individuals.

Plasma vitamin C is inversely related to body mass index and waist circumference but not to plasma adiponectin in nonsmoking adults.

We examined the relationships between plasma vitamin C, adiposity, and the collagen-like adipokine, adiponectin. Of 118 sedentary, nonsmoking adults participating in the cross-sectional trial (35 men and 83 women aged 38.7 +/- 1.0 y with BMI of 30.4 +/- 0.6 kg/m2, plasma vitamin C concentrations of 43.5 +/- 1.3 micromol/L, and plasma adiponectin concentrations of 8.9 +/- 0.3 mg/L), 54% were obese and 24% were overweight. Plasma vitamin C was inversely related to BMI, percentage of body fat, and waist circumference in both women and men (r = -0.383 to -0.497, P < 0.025). In women but not men, these associations remained significant after controlling for body mass. Plasma vitamin C was directly related to plasma adiponectin in the women after controlling for age and vitamin C supplement use (r = 0.222, P = 0.049) but not after controlling for body mass. Twenty obese men and women participated in an intervention trial and consumed an energy-restricted diet low in vitamin C (approximately 38 mg/d) for 8 wk. Subjects were stratified by age, gender, and BMI and randomly assigned to receive placebo or vitamin C (500 mg) capsules daily. At baseline, plasma adiponectin was directly related to plasma vitamin C (r = 0.609, P = 0.021) and inversely related to body mass (r = -0.785, P = 0.001). Body mass decreased significantly during the 8 wk study in both the vitamin C (n = 6, -5.9 +/- 0.9 kg) and placebo groups (n = 8, -6.5 +/- 0.7 kg). Plasma adiponectin increased 13% from baseline by wk 8 in both groups (P < 0.05). In summary, plasma vitamin C was inversely related to markers of adiposity, particularly in women, but vitamin C supplementation did not influence the circulating concentration of adiponectin.