Abstract
Observational evidence suggests that a relationship may exist between high glycemic index diets and the development of anxiety and depression symptoms; however, as no interventional studies assessing this relationship in a psychiatric population have been completed, the possibility of a causal link is unclear. AB is a 15-year-old female who presented with concerns of generalized anxiety disorder and hypoglycemia symptoms. Her diet consisted primarily of refined carbohydrates. The addition of protein, fat, and fiber to her diet resulted in a substantial decrease in anxiety symptoms as well as a decrease in the frequency and severity of hypoglycemia symptoms. A brief return to her previous diet caused a return of her anxiety symptoms, followed by improvement when she restarted the prescribed diet. This case strengthens the hypothesis that dietary glycemic index may play a role in the pathogenesis or progression of mental illnesses such as generalized anxiety disorder and subsequently that dietary modification as a therapeutic intervention in the treatment of mental illness warrants further study.
Highlights
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common and often disabling disease
Two other intervention studies comparing high and low glycemic index (GI) diets in patients with diabetes did not find a change in subclinical depression or cognitive function [9]. Despite this evidence that a relationship between dietary GI and emotional and cognitive functioning may exist, no interventional studies have assessed the impact of a low GI or low Glycemic load (GL) dietary intervention in psychiatric patient populations in order to assess causality of the relationship
AB is a 15-year-old female student of south-Asian descent. She presented with concerns of anxiety and symptoms of hypoglycemia as well as difficulty concentrating, fatigue, headaches, asthma, and frequent urinary and vaginal infections
Summary
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common and often disabling disease. It is characterized by fear, tension, and excessive worries regarding common events or problems for a minimum of six months [1] and is accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, muscle tension, and chest tightness. Despite evidence correlating a healthy diet with the maintenance of mental health, a trend towards a reduction in the quality of adolescent diets has been observed at the global level This trend is characterized by an increased intake of fast foods, fried foods, sweets, refined grains, processed meat, and a reduction of fruit/vegetable intake [7]. The consumption of this Western-style diet has been independently associated with a greater risk for the development of anxiety and depression [7] and associated with a decline in the mental health status of adolescents [6]. Despite this evidence that a relationship between dietary GI and emotional and cognitive functioning may exist, no interventional studies have assessed the impact of a low GI or low GL dietary intervention in psychiatric patient populations in order to assess causality of the relationship
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