Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
Plant-Based Eating Pattern and Psychological Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Patients With Migraine Publisher



Karimi E1, 2 ; Heidari H3 ; Kazemi M4, 5, 6 ; Hadi A7 ; Askari G3 ; Khorvash F8 ; Arab A9, 10
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
  2. 2. Research Development Center, Arash Women’s Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Community Nutrition, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  5. 5. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  6. 6. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  7. 7. Halal Research Center of IRI, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
  8. 8. Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
  9. 9. Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  10. 10. Medical Chronobiology Program, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States

Source: Nutritional Neuroscience Published:2025


Abstract

Objectives: The present study evaluated the association between plant-based diet index (PDI) and psychological symptoms, including depressive symptoms, stress, and anxiety among Iranian women diagnosed with migraine headaches. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 262 patients with migraine (aged 20–50 years; body mass index, 18.5–30 kg/m²). Three versions of the PDI were calculated: overall PDI, healthy PDI (hPDI), and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) based on dietary data collected via a 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Psychological symptoms, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress, were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, patients in the highest tertile of the PDI showed a lower risk of depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22, 0.77]. Furthermore, inverse associations were evident between the PDI score and the risk of stress (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.85). Discussion: Higher adherence to a plant-based eating pattern is associated with a reduced risk of psychological symptoms. However, future longitudinal studies and clinical trials should replicate our observations and delineate the underlying mechanisms driving these associations. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Related Docs
View other Related Docs
1. Association of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns With Psychological Profile and Obesity in Iranian Women, Clinical Nutrition (2020)
2. The Relationship Between a Plant-Based Diet and Mental Health: Evidence From a Cross-Sectional Multicentric Community Trial (Lipokap Study), PLoS ONE (2023)
3. Empirically Derived Dietary Patterns and Their Association With Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Sample of Iranian Migraine Patients (2019–2020), BMC Nutrition (2022)
4. Is There an Association Between a Plant-Based Eating Pattern and Clinical Findings of a Migraine Headache?, Frontiers in Nutrition (2023)
5. The Association of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Psychological Disorders Among Iranian Adults, Journal of Affective Disorders (2022)
6. Is There a Link Between the Inflammatory Potential of a Diet and Mental Health Among Patients With Migraine? Findings From a Cross-Sectional Survey, Nutritional Neuroscience (2024)
7. The Predictive Role of the Dietary Phytochemical Index in Relation to the Clinical and Psychological Traits of Migraine Headaches, Scientific Reports (2024)
8. Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (Dash) Diet on Clinical, Quality of Life and Mental Health Outcomes in Women With Migraine: A Randomised Controlled Trial, British Journal of Nutrition (2022)
Experts (# of related papers)
View all Related Experts
Peyman Adibi (47)
Hamid Afshar Zanjani (37)
Other Related Docs
9. Associations Between Adherence to Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Frequency, Duration, and Severity of Migraine Headache: A Cross-Sectional Study, Nutritional Neuroscience (2023)
10. Is There a Relationship Between 24-Hour Urinary Sodium and Potassium and Mental Health in Migraine Patients?: A Cross-Sectional Study, Medicine (United States) (2022)
11. Associations Between Diet Quality and Migraine Headaches: A Cross-Sectional Study, Nutritional Neuroscience (2024)
12. Associations Between Dietary Diversity Score and Migraine Headaches: The Results From a Cross-Sectional Study, Frontiers in Nutrition (2023)
13. Associations Between Potential Inflammatory Properties of the Diet and Frequency, Duration, and Severity of Migraine Headaches: A Cross-Sectional Study, Scientific Reports (2022)
14. The Relationship Between the World Index for Sustainability and Health (Wish) Score and Mental Health in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, British Journal of Nutrition (2024)
15. The Association Between Plant Protein Sources and Migraine Symptoms: A Case-Control Study Among Iranian Adults, Journal of Health System Research (2024)
16. Association Between Plant-Based Diets and Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Adults From Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study, BMC Endocrine Disorders (2023)
17. The Association of Food Quality Index With Mental Health in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, BMC Research Notes (2020)
18. Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity in Relation to Depression and Anxiety in Iranian Adults, Nutrition (2019)
19. A Healthful Plant-Based Diet Can Reduce the Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer: Case-Control Study, Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (2024)
20. The Effect of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (Dash) Diet on Sleep, Mental Health, and Hormonal Changes: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Women With Type 2 Diabetes, Frontiers in Nutrition (2022)
21. Adherence to Plant-Based Dietary Patterns in Relation to Glioma: A Case–Control Study, Scientific Reports (2021)
22. Substituting Whole Grains for Refined Grains and Risk of Developing Psychological Disorders in Iranian Adults: Yahs and Tamyz Studies, Current Psychology (2023)
23. The Association Between Adherence to Alternative Healthy Diet Index (Ahei) and Severity, Disability, Duration, and Frequency of Migraine Headache Among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, Nutrition Journal (2023)
24. Adherence to the Mind Diet and Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Adults, Journal of Affective Disorders (2019)
25. Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables in Relation With Psychological Disorders in Iranian Adults, European Journal of Nutrition (2018)
26. Adherence to the Vegetarian Diet May Increase the Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies, Nutrition Reviews (2022)
27. Empirically Derived Dietary Patterns in Relation to Psychological Disorders, Public Health Nutrition (2016)
28. The Association of the Prime Diet Quality Score (Pdqs) With Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: The Isfahan Functional Disorders (Isfun) Cohort Study, Nutritional Neuroscience (2025)
29. Association of Dietary Phytochemical Index and Mental Health in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, British Journal of Nutrition (2019)
30. The Association of Plant-Based Dietary Pattern With General and Abdominal Obesity: A Large Cross-Sectional Study, Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders (2023)
31. The Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (Dash) Diet on Oxidative Stress and Clinical Indices of Migraine Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Nutritional Neuroscience (2022)
32. Association Between Dietary Acid Load and Clinical Features of Migraine Headaches Among Iranian Individuals, Scientific Reports (2022)
33. The Association of Whole and Refined Grains Consumption With Psychological Disorders Among Iranian Adults, European Journal of Nutrition (2019)
34. The Association of Legume Consumption and Psychological Health Among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, Journal of Nutrition and Food Security (2021)
35. A Plant-Based Dietary Score and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Iranian Children: A Case-Control Study, Journal of Affective Disorders (2022)
36. Is There a Relationship Between Dietary Sodium and Potassium Intake and Clinical Findings of a Migraine Headache?, British Journal of Nutrition (2022)
37. Relationship of the Prime Diet Quality Score (Pdqs) and Healthy Eating Index (Hei-2015) With Depression and Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Study, BMC Public Health (2024)
38. The Association of Potato Consumption and Psychological Disorders in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, Journal of Nutrition and Food Security (2020)
39. The Association Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Case–Control Study, Scientific Reports (2021)
40. Association of Serum Vitamin D and Total Antioxidant Capacity Levels With Stress and Anxiety in Young Female Students, Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (2017)
41. The Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Oxidative Stress, Clinical Symptoms and Mental Health Status in Patients With Migraine: A Study Protocol for a Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial, Trials (2024)
42. The Association of Maternal Plant-Based Diets and the Growth of Breastfed Infants, Health Promotion Perspectives (2020)
43. Adherence to Plant-Based Dietary Pattern and Risk of Breast Cancer Among Iranian Women, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2021)
44. Macronutrients and the State of Happiness and Mood in Undergraduate Youth of a Military Training Course, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2023)
45. An Unhealthy Plant-Based Diet Increases Risk of Hypertension But Not Framingham Risk Score in Adults, Current Developments in Nutrition (2023)
46. Red and White Meat Intake in Relation to Mental Disorders in Iranian Adults, Frontiers in Nutrition (2021)
47. The Mind (Mediterranean-Dash Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) and Mediterranean Diets Are Differently Associated With Psychosomatic Complaints Profile in Adults: Results From Sepahan Cross-Sectional Study, Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (2020)
48. Adherence to Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Is Inversely Associated With Depression, Anxiety and Psychological Distress, Nutritional Neuroscience (2021)
49. Association of Dietary Acid-Base Load and Psychological Disorders Among Iranian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2020)
50. Effects of Co-Supplementation With Alpha-Linolenic Acid and L-Carnitine on Inflammatory Status and Oxidative Stress in Women With Migraine: A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Journal of Functional Foods (2024)