A major study has found that workers who are clinging to the traditional or modern Japanese diet, culturally touched, reports less symptoms of depression, highlighting the mental health power of nutrition.

Between Japanese-style diet and low proliferation of depression symptoms: Japan epidemic cooperation on business health studiesImage Credit: Rocharibeiro / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Psychiatry and clinical neurologyA group of researchers evaluated a relationship between traditional and modified Japanese dietary patterns and the prevalence of symptoms of depression in a working Japanese population.

background

Depression affects over 280 million people globally and is a major contributor to disability and economic loss. In working adults, mental health challenges can obstruct productivity and increase absence. Nutrients such as vitamin D, folate and omega -3 fatty acids play individual roles in maintaining mental health.

Researchers are studying individual roles, but now interested in how the overall diet patterns affect our mental health. The dietary approach to prevent Mediterranean diet and Dash (Dash) has shown frequent associations with low depressive symptoms in the Western population. However, research in Japan has achieved inconsistent results, partially due to the use of sample-specific diet scoring system. Therefore, further research is required using culturally grounded dietary measures.

About studies

This cross-sectional study used data from Japan epidemiology collaboration on Occupational Health (J-ECOH) study, collected between 2018 and 2021 in five companies and six study sites. A total of 12,499 participants completed a valid food frequency questionnaire and the 11-appearance Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-11).

The diet score was calculated for both traditional and modified Japanese diets. The traditional score included white rice, misso soup, soy products, ripe vegetables, fish, salty foods, mushrooms, seaweed and green tea. The revised score replaced white rice with full or minimal processed grains, reversing scoring for salty foods, and added raw vegetables, fruits and dairy products. The participants were classified into the fourth based on their respective adherence score.

Multilavel poison regression with strong variance was used to calculate the symptoms of depression, the circulation ratio (PRS) for demographic and lifestyle factors, and the study site was treated as a random effect. Analysis of sensitivity is excluded to participants with known mental disorders and the effects have been examined by Covid-19 periods and survey method.

Subgroup analysis was organized on the basis of age, gender, education, working hours, alcohol intake, smoking and body mass index. Statistical importance was set to P <0.05, and the Stata Multiprose (MP) version was analyzed using 18 statistical software.

Study result

Among the 12,499 participants, 30.9% was identified as symptoms of depression. The average participant was 42.5 years old, and women were 12% of the sample. It was observed that both traditional and modified Japanese diets were old, married, better educated and more physically active. He reported low smoking rates and long working hours.

There was a clear reverse relationship between the symptoms of dietary rearing and depression. For traditional Japanese diet, the possibility of depression symptoms decreased as the diet score increased, with adjusted PRS of 1.00 (reference), 0.94, 0.91 and 0.83. A similar trend was observed for the revised Japanese diet with values ​​of 1.00 (reference), 0.94, 0.83 and 0.80. In both cases, the trend was statistically important (P <0.001 for trend).

These results were consistent with participants with the history of mental disorders. Both diets showed the same protective associations despite the modified version including additional nutrients-darling foods.

The subgroup analysis revealed a strong association among the participants with high educational attainment, possibly reflecting better health literacy. Interestingly, no important union was found in those working more than 46 hours per month, which authors suggest that any possible diet can reflect stress and fatigue that removes any possible dietary benefits. East-corenavirus disease (covid-19) and covid-19 periods remain stable, indicating flexibility for external stresses.

Emacularly, the protective effect of the Japanese diet may arise from the dense components of its nutrients. Folylets in marine algae and vegetables can support the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Omega -3 fatty acids from fish are considered anti -inflammatory properties and support for brain function.

Antioxidants found in green tea and vegetables can help reduce oxidative stress, while soy, mushrooms and seaweed diets can promote the health of the diet fiber intestine microbyota, which in turn affects the mood through the intestine-brain axis. Additionally, Umami-rich foods such as misso and fermented soy can help promote relaxation by reducing heart rate and stimulating the body’s parasimpethetic Nervous system,

Although the modified Japanese diet was designed to address shortcomings such as low calcium and fiber, and high sodium, in the traditional version, both diets had similar effects. This can be because 62% to 84% of the participants consumed the added components, such as dairy and whole grains, diet scores at least compared to threshold.

Overall, the findings emphasize the potential mental health benefits of the overall diet pattern contained deeply in cultural eating habits. Results can be important implications for mental health strategies in workplace welfare programs and public health policies.

conclusion

In short, this massive cross-sectional study demonstrated that both traditional and modified Japanese diet patterns are associated with low proliferation of depressive symptoms between adults who work highly.

Although the design of the study can not be considered causing, and conclusions may not be normal to all population because participants were mainly large, urban companies, current conclusions align with previous research that suggests that culturally specific diet plays a positive role in supporting mental health.

Person may experience psychological benefits by usually, by incorporating all the foods found in Japanese cuisine. These insight can support dietary intervention and development of public health strategies aimed at reducing depression through culturally relevant nutrition.