Feasibility and Acceptability of a Healthy Nordic Diet Intervention for the Treatment of Depression: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

• Healthy diet interventions have been shown to improve depressive symptoms, but thereis a need for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that are double blind and investigate biologicalmechanisms. The primary objectives of this randomized controlled pilot trial were to test thepalatability of the meals and the acceptability of the intervention in preparation for an 8-week RCTin the future, which will investigate whether a healthy Nordic diet improves depressive symptomsin individuals with major depressive disorder, and associated biological mechanisms. Depressed(n = 10) and non-depressed (n = 6) women and men were randomized to receive either a healthyNordic diet (ND) or a control diet (CD) for 8 days. Participants were blinded to their diet allocationand the study hypotheses. Health questionnaires were completed before and after the interventionand, throughout the study, questionnaires assessed participants’ liking for the meals, their sensoryproperties, adherence, and open-ended feedback. In the ND group, 75% of participants consumedonly the provided foods, as instructed, compared to 50% of CD participants. The meals of both diets,on average, received good ratings for liking and sensory properties, though the ND ratings weresomewhat higher. Overall, results were positive and informative, indicating that the planned RCTwill be feasible and well-accepted, with some proposed modifications.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Näringslära (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nutrition and Dietetics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

depression

major depressive disorder

diet

nutrition

randomized controlled trial

randomized controlled pilot trial

healthy Nordic diet

mental health

palatability

food liking

medicin

Medicine

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)