Systematic Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatr. Sep 20, 2018; 8(3): 97-104
Published online Sep 20, 2018. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.97
Antidepressant foods: An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression
Laura R LaChance, Drew Ramsey
Laura R LaChance, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1L8, Canada
Laura R LaChance, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
Drew Ramsey, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, United States
Author contributions: LaChance LR and Ramsey D designed and conducted the research, performed the analysis, wrote and edited the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Laura R LaChance, BSc, MD, Academic Research Lecturer, Research Scientist, Staff Physician, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, 7th floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1L8, Canada. laura.lachance@camh.ca
Telephone: +416-5358501
Received: April 28, 2018
Peer-review started: April 28, 2018
First decision: June 6, 2018
Revised: June 12, 2018
Accepted: June 29, 2018
Article in press: June 29, 2018
Published online: September 20, 2018
Core Tip

Core tip: The Antidepressant Food Score was designed to identify the most nutrient-dense individual foods to prevent and promote recovery from depressive disorders and symptoms. Results can be used to inform the design of future research studies or clinical dietary recommendations. This tool is based on a systematic literature review, evidence-informed list of Antidepressant Nutrients, and nutrient density calculation. The highest scoring animal foods were bivalves such as oysters and mussels, various seafoods, and organ meats. The highest scoring plant-based foods were leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables. These foods can be integrated into any dietary pattern.