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2025-07-03

Mood, memory, inflammation—could it all happen on the plate?

Neurology Psychiatry

#Microbiota #Depression #Alzheimer #Neuroinflammation #AntiInflammatoryDiet  


Mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia—as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s—are major global public health concerns. Their prevalence continues to grow, treatments remain imperfect, and their origins are multifactorial.  

Despite pharmacological advances, conventional treatments are often ineffective for a subset of patients, poorly tolerated, or not well suited for chronic forms. Low-grade chronic inflammation, long overlooked, is now emerging as a key factor in the pathophysiology of many psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.  

In response to these limitations, diet—especially anti-inflammatory dietary patterns—is attracting increasing interest. By acting on the microbiota, cytokines, oxidative stress, and innate immunity, certain dietary models could modulate neuroinflammatory status and improve clinical symptoms. This review explores the potential role of an anti-inflammatory diet as a therapeutic tool for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.    


Can Brain Inflammation Be Eaten Away?  


The authors describe how systemic inflammation—via pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP—can disrupt brain function. These inflammatory mediators, associated with increased intestinal permeability, an imbalanced microbiota, and dysregulation of the gut-brain axis, play a central role in cognitive decline and mood disorders.  

Epidemiological data indicate that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, omega-3s, fiber, and minimally processed foods—such as the Mediterranean or DASH diets—are associated with a reduced risk of depression, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, a Western-style diet rich in saturated fats, added sugars, and ultra-processed foods promotes chronic inflammation and worsens psychiatric symptoms.  

Several small clinical trials have tested anti-inflammatory diets in patients with mental or cognitive disorders. They report improvements in mood, anxiety, and some cognitive functions. However, these results are still limited due to the variability in dietary patterns tested, short intervention durations, and small sample sizes.  

Read next: Neurodegeneration: the shadow of a deficiency?


Food to Soothe the Brain?  


Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders share a common inflammatory background—often silent, yet biologically active. Their management remains therapeutically challenging, especially in patients resistant to standard treatments. This review examines the potential of targeted nutrition to modulate brain inflammation and alleviate related symptoms.  

Findings suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet could offer a promising complementary approach. It could help restore neuroimmune balance through actions on the gut microbiota, the blood-brain barrier, and the production of neurotransmitters.  

However, the evidence is still weak. Clinical studies are often small, uncontrolled, or short-term. Dietary protocols lack standardization, and the very definition of an “anti-inflammatory diet” remains unclear. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to assess actual efficacy, identify the most responsive patient populations, and clarify specific mechanisms of action. Identifying biomarkers of dietary response could also enable a more personalized nutritional approach.  

Read next: Parkinson’s disease: could it all start in the gut?



Source(s) :
van Zonneveld, S. M., et al. (2024). An Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Its Potential Benefit for Individuals with Mental Disorders and Neurodegenerative Diseases-A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 16(16), 2646 ;

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