Statistical Laboratory, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-126 Kraków, Poland.
Department of Nutrition and Drug Research, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-066 Kraków, Poland.
Nutrients. 2024 Feb 2;16(3):445. doi: 10.3390/nu16030445.
There has been an increasing global prevalence of depression and other psychiatric diseases in recent years. Perceived stress has been proven to be associated with psychiatric and somatic symptoms. Some animal and human studies have suggested that consuming foods abundant in lignans and phytosterols may be associated with lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Still, the evidence is not yet strong enough to draw firm conclusions. Thus, we investigated the association between dietary intake of these phytochemicals and the level of stress experienced by adult individuals.
Diet was assessed using self-reported 7-day dietary records. The intakes of lignans and phytosterols were estimated using databases with their content in various food products. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was implemented to measure the level of perceived stress. A logistic regression analysis was used to test for associations.
The odds of elevated PSS were negatively associated with dietary intake of total phytosterols, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, with evidence of a decreasing trend across tertiles of phytochemicals. The analysis for doubling the intake reinforced the aforementioned relationships and found protective effects against PSS for total lignans, pinoresinol, and campesterol.
Habitual inclusion of lignans and phytosterols in the diet may play a role in psychological health. To address the global outbreak of depression and other mental health issues triggered by stress, it is important to take a holistic approach. There is a need to develop effective strategies for prevention and treatment, among which certain dietary interventions such as consumption of products abundant in lignans and phytosterols may play a substantial role.
近年来，全球范围内抑郁症和其他精神疾病的患病率呈上升趋势。已证实，感知压力与精神和躯体症状有关。一些动物和人类研究表明，摄入富含木脂素和植物固醇的食物可能与较低水平的压力、抑郁和焦虑有关。然而，目前的证据还不足以得出确凿的结论。因此，我们调查了这些植物化学物质的饮食摄入量与成年个体所经历的压力水平之间的关联。
饮食通过自我报告的 7 天饮食记录进行评估。木脂素和植物固醇的摄入量使用含有各种食物中含量的数据库进行估算。采用感知压力量表（PSS）来衡量感知压力的水平。使用逻辑回归分析来检验关联。
感知压力量表得分较高的几率与总植物固醇、豆甾醇和β-谷甾醇的饮食摄入量呈负相关，且随着植物化学物质三分位数的增加，呈下降趋势。对摄入量翻倍的分析强化了上述关系，并发现总木脂素、开环异落叶松树脂酚和菜油固醇对感知压力量表具有保护作用。
习惯性地将木脂素和植物固醇纳入饮食可能对心理健康起到一定作用。为应对因压力引发的全球抑郁症和其他精神健康问题的爆发，采取整体方法至关重要。需要制定有效的预防和治疗策略，其中某些饮食干预措施，如摄入富含木脂素和植物固醇的食物，可能会起到重要作用。
