Calorie Restrictions, Low-Fat Diets May Reduce Depressive Symptoms

Small effects on depressive symptoms seen with calorie restriction and low-fat diets for adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, calorie restrictions and low-fat diets may reduce depressive symptoms, according to a review published online May 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Eman Abukmail, M.D., from the Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia, and colleagues examined the effects of dietary interventions on depression and anxiety in a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Data were included from 25 randomized controlled trials.

The researchers found that for adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, depressive symptoms might be improved by dietary advice on calorie restriction compared with no specific dietary advice (standardized mean difference, −0.23; low-certainty). Small effects on depressive symptoms may be seen with low-fat diets among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk (standardized mean difference, −0.03). Limited evidence was seen for other diets, comparing diets with active comparisons, and on anxiety.

“In conclusion, calorie restrictions and low-fat diets might reduce depressive symptoms among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, but the differences were small, and confidence in the findings was low,” the authors write. “Evidence on other diets, comparisons to active interventions, and other outcomes is limited.”

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