Summary: Researchers report that diet quality and body weight may influence how people with bipolar disorder respond to certain treatments. The study found that participants with healthier diets and lower BMI showed better responses to add-on nutraceutical treatment than those who were overweight or who consumed diets associated with higher inflammation.
Source: European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
New data from a clinical trial suggest that response to treatment for bipolar disorder may be affected by a person’s weight, overall diet quality, and the inflammatory potential of their diet. These initial findings, presented at the ECNP Conference in Barcelona, indicate that incorporating dietary advice and weight management could improve outcomes for some patients if results are confirmed by larger studies.
Bipolar disorder—formerly known as manic depression—is defined by episodes of extreme elevated mood (mania) and very low mood (depression), with variable periods of relative stability between episodes. Because the condition includes opposite poles of mood disturbance, achieving consistently effective treatment is challenging. Current pharmacological options often control manic symptoms more reliably than depressive symptoms, leaving a pressing need for improved strategies to treat bipolar depression.
A multinational research team from Australia, Germany and the United States examined whether diet quality, dietary inflammatory potential, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with better outcomes when nutraceuticals were added to standard treatments. Nutraceuticals are food-derived compounds such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that may have therapeutic effects. The trial included 133 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of nutraceuticals, n-acetylcysteine (NAC) alone (an amino acid with anti-inflammatory properties), or a placebo for 16 weeks. All participants continued any stable treatments they were already using.
At baseline, researchers recorded participants’ BMI and assessed depressive symptoms and functional ability. They continued to evaluate symptom change and overall clinical improvement for up to 20 weeks. Participants also completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire reflecting usual intake over the previous year. From these responses the team calculated a diet quality score: higher scores reflected diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole foods, while lower scores indicated diets higher in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates and alcohol. The foods reported were then categorized by their likely effect on systemic inflammation, grouping diets into those with anti-inflammatory versus pro-inflammatory profiles.
Lead researcher Melanie Ashton of Deakin University explained, “We found that participants with higher-quality diets, diets with anti-inflammatory characteristics, or lower BMI showed greater benefit from add-on nutraceutical treatment compared with those who reported lower-quality diets, pro-inflammatory diets, or higher BMI.”
If replicated in larger, targeted studies, these findings suggest clinical care for bipolar disorder might be strengthened by integrating nutritional assessment, dietary counseling, and weight management into treatment plans—particularly when addressing depressive symptoms that are often resistant to standard medications.
The authors emphasize several important caveats. Although this was a randomized, controlled trial, the analyses linking diet quality, dietary inflammatory potential and BMI to treatment response were exploratory rather than the primary outcomes the trial was designed to test. The observed associations reached statistical significance, but because the original trial was not powered specifically to test these dietary and weight-related effects, the results require replication in larger, prospective studies before firm clinical recommendations can be made.
Commenting on the study, Professor Eduard Vieta from Barcelona noted that the work is promising and “holds out the possibility that patients with bipolar disorder may benefit from a balanced diet.” He also cautioned that the findings are preliminary and that additional research is needed to determine how, or whether, these observations should influence routine clinical practice. Professor Vieta was not involved in the study and his remarks are an independent scientific comment.
Funding: This study was supported by an NHMRC Project Grant, Deakin University, the Australasian Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders, Lundbeck, Australian Rotary Health, and the Ian Parker Bipolar Research Fund.
Source: European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image source: Public domain image as noted.
Original research presentation: This work was presented at the 31st Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Recommended citation (MLA): European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. “Diet and Weight May Affect Bipolar Treatment Response.” NeuroscienceNews, 7 October 2018.
Recommended citation (APA): European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2018, October 7). Diet and weight may affect bipolar treatment response. NeuroscienceNews.
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