We already know that diet can have effects on mood, via the intestinal microbiota, this study shows that both diet and weight can affect the response to treatment for bipolar disorder. Presented at the 2018 Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, this research suggests that patients with these "mood swings" who follow a balanced, less inflammatory diet and / or have a lower BMI will respond positively to a complementary nutraceutical treatment.
Bipolar disorder, more simply known as “manic depression”, is characterized by episodes of mood swings, which vary at both extremes, sometimes interspersed with episodes of depression. It is difficult to find an effective treatment and if the current drugs contribute all the same to reduce the symptoms, they remain insufficient for the patients who suffer from depressive episodes. This international team made up of Australian, German and American scientists shows that diet influences the possible benefits of nutraceutical supplementation.
The effectiveness of nutraceutical supplementation:the clinical trial here is conducted with 133 participants assigned to receive a combination of nutraceuticals (food-derived compounds such as vitamins or minerals that treat or prevent a disease or disorder), containing the anti-inflammatory amino acid n-acetylcysteine (NAC), or NAC alone, or placebo for 16 weeks. Nutraceuticals complemented the stable treatments followed by the participants. The researchers assessed for each participant and at the start of the study, the BMI, the severity of depression and the ability to function in everyday life. The researchers also took into account the evolution of these different criteria during the follow-up of the study. Finally, the participants documented their diet through a questionnaire. The diets were then categorized as "anti-inflammatory" or "pro-inflammatory" based on foods that affect inflammation. The analysis essentially shows that:
- how people respond to nutraceutical treatment may be influenced by body weight and general diet quality: for example, participants with a higher quality diet, an anti-inflammatory diet, or a lower body mass index, show a better response to nutraceutical treatment;
This suggests, if these findings can be validated on a larger scale, that treatment for bipolar disorder should take into account the patient's diet and weight.
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