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. 2023 Nov 30;15(23):4981.
doi: 10.3390/nu15234981.

Mental Health Conditions, Including Depression and Stress, Are Associated with Increased Odds of Gastric Cancer-Insights into the Role of Diet: A Case-Control Study

Farhad Vahid  1 , Wena Rahmani  2 , Sayed Hossein Davoodi  3 , Torsten Bohn  1
Affiliations

Mental Health Conditions, Including Depression and Stress, Are Associated with Increased Odds of Gastric Cancer-Insights into the Role of Diet: A Case-Control Study

Farhad Vahid et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Several risk factors, including nutritional/lifestyle ones, play a role in gastric cancer etiology. Further interactions with mental health have also been emphasized. We hypothesized that individuals with mental disorders would exhibit compromised nutrient intake, increasing their risk of gastric cancer. The state of mental health was evaluated in 82 patients with gastric cancer and 95 healthy controls using the 21-item Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale. The participants' dietary intakes were evaluated by a 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Based on fully adjusted logistic regressions, there was a significant association between depression (OR = 1.938, CI 95%: 1.009-3.723) and stress (OR = 2.630, CI 95%: 1.014-6.819) with increased odds of gastric cancer. According to fully adjusted multinomial regressions, vitamins A and B6, beta-carotene, and black tea decreased the odds of depression, based on comparing the control group with cases of depression, while sugar and salt increased its odds. The highest significant association was found for salt intake and anxiety in cases with present anxiety (OR = 4.899, 95% CI: 2.218-10.819), and the highest significant protective effect was found for vitamin B6 and depression in cases with present depression (OR = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.055-0.320). However, considering causal relationships and clarifying the underlying mechanisms is imperative and requires further investigation. Advising healthy dietary patterns, e.g., a Mediterranean diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals such as vitamin A, B6, beta-carotene, and fiber, is expected to reduce the odds of gastric cancer, possibly related to lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Keywords: beta-carotene; inflammation; oxidative stress; pyridoxine; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison (one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test) of dietary intakes (A) vitamin A, (B) vitamin E, (C) vitamin D, (D) vitamin B12, (E) beta-carotene, (F) vitamin B6, (G) black tea, (H) salt, (I) sugar, (J) zinc in cases and controls across depression, anxiety, and stress subgroups. Only significant p-values comparing two subgroups are shown; more details and non-significant values are given in Supplementary Tables S1–S3.
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Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.
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