Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Abstract Background Mental illness has been presenting serious public health concerns. Studies have linked mental disorders to poor dietary patterns. The study aimed to estimate the causal relationship between dietary macronutrient intake and mental disorders using a bidirectional two-sample Mendeli...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07100-y |
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| author | Yichun Zhang Mingzhu Zhang Qihua Guan Pengcheng Liu Wangxin Zhang Song Yang Hualei Dong Haifeng Hou |
| author_facet | Yichun Zhang Mingzhu Zhang Qihua Guan Pengcheng Liu Wangxin Zhang Song Yang Hualei Dong Haifeng Hou |
| author_sort | Yichun Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Mental illness has been presenting serious public health concerns. Studies have linked mental disorders to poor dietary patterns. The study aimed to estimate the causal relationship between dietary macronutrient intake and mental disorders using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods The causal relationships between dietary macronutrient intake (i.e., carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar) and mental disorders (i.e., anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, neuroticism and schizophrenia) were explored on the basis of UK Biobank and 5 datasets. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) and weighted median (WM) methods were applied to calculate the potential causation between macronutrient and mental disorders. MR-Egger’s intercept and MR-PRESSO approaches were used to verify the MR assumptions. Outcomes were reported as odds ratios (OR) and regression coefficients (β), which were adjusted by False Discovery Rate (FDR) corrections. Results Forward MR analyses revealed that genetically predicted high-fat and high-protein intakes were related to an increased risk of anxiety [fat: OR = 3.103, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.015 to 9.486, P IVW = 0.047, FDR = 0.209; protein: OR = 3.364, 95% CI: 1.071 to 10.567, P IVW = 0.038, FDR = 0.189]. High-carbohydrate intake was associated with BD (OR = 1.468, 95% CI: 1.052 to 2.048, P IVW = 0.024, FDR = 0.160), and high-protein intake was also linked to depression (OR = 1.443, 95% CI: 1.227 to 1.696, P IVW < 0.001, FDR < 0.001). Reverse MR analyses indicated that neuroticism resulted in higher sugar intake (β = 7.556 g, 95% CI: 0.610 to 14.502 g, P IVW = 0.033, FDR = 0.189). Additionally, schizophrenia was associated with lower intakes of carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that although the effects of psychiatric diseases on diet patterns have been well understood, the potential impacts of dietary intake on mental disorders are needed to be highlighted. Clinical trial number Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d4515b64ca7e47b0a7e4028be87d7f62 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-d4515b64ca7e47b0a7e4028be87d7f622025-08-20T04:01:41ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-07-0125111310.1186/s12888-025-07100-yDietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization studyYichun Zhang0Mingzhu Zhang1Qihua Guan2Pengcheng Liu3Wangxin Zhang4Song Yang5Hualei Dong6Haifeng Hou7Jining Hospital of Xiyuan Hospital of CACMSSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Medical Psychology, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesDepartment of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao UniversityDepartment of Sanatorium, Shandong Provincial Taishan HospitalSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Mental illness has been presenting serious public health concerns. Studies have linked mental disorders to poor dietary patterns. The study aimed to estimate the causal relationship between dietary macronutrient intake and mental disorders using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods The causal relationships between dietary macronutrient intake (i.e., carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar) and mental disorders (i.e., anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, neuroticism and schizophrenia) were explored on the basis of UK Biobank and 5 datasets. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) and weighted median (WM) methods were applied to calculate the potential causation between macronutrient and mental disorders. MR-Egger’s intercept and MR-PRESSO approaches were used to verify the MR assumptions. Outcomes were reported as odds ratios (OR) and regression coefficients (β), which were adjusted by False Discovery Rate (FDR) corrections. Results Forward MR analyses revealed that genetically predicted high-fat and high-protein intakes were related to an increased risk of anxiety [fat: OR = 3.103, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.015 to 9.486, P IVW = 0.047, FDR = 0.209; protein: OR = 3.364, 95% CI: 1.071 to 10.567, P IVW = 0.038, FDR = 0.189]. High-carbohydrate intake was associated with BD (OR = 1.468, 95% CI: 1.052 to 2.048, P IVW = 0.024, FDR = 0.160), and high-protein intake was also linked to depression (OR = 1.443, 95% CI: 1.227 to 1.696, P IVW < 0.001, FDR < 0.001). Reverse MR analyses indicated that neuroticism resulted in higher sugar intake (β = 7.556 g, 95% CI: 0.610 to 14.502 g, P IVW = 0.033, FDR = 0.189). Additionally, schizophrenia was associated with lower intakes of carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that although the effects of psychiatric diseases on diet patterns have been well understood, the potential impacts of dietary intake on mental disorders are needed to be highlighted. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07100-yBidirectional causalityDietary intakeMacronutrientMental disordersMendelian randomization |
| spellingShingle | Yichun Zhang Mingzhu Zhang Qihua Guan Pengcheng Liu Wangxin Zhang Song Yang Hualei Dong Haifeng Hou Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study BMC Psychiatry Bidirectional causality Dietary intake Macronutrient Mental disorders Mendelian randomization |
| title | Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study |
| title_full | Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study |
| title_fullStr | Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study |
| title_short | Dietary intake and five types of mental disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study |
| title_sort | dietary intake and five types of mental disorders a bidirectional mendelian randomization study |
| topic | Bidirectional causality Dietary intake Macronutrient Mental disorders Mendelian randomization |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07100-y |
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