Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life
The postnatal period is a significant period of physical, physiological and psychological change for mothers, rendering them particularly vulnerable to changes in mood or disorders such as postnatal depression (PND). Previous interventions with foods high in flavonoids have demonstrated beneficial a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2383 |
| _version_ | 1797526384876191744 |
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| author | Katie Louise Barfoot Rachel Forster Daniel Joseph Lamport |
| author_facet | Katie Louise Barfoot Rachel Forster Daniel Joseph Lamport |
| author_sort | Katie Louise Barfoot |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The postnatal period is a significant period of physical, physiological and psychological change for mothers, rendering them particularly vulnerable to changes in mood or disorders such as postnatal depression (PND). Previous interventions with foods high in flavonoids have demonstrated beneficial acute and chronic mood effects in healthy child, adolescent and adult populations. It is unclear whether mood effects persist in populations who are potentially at-risk of developing mood disorders, such as postnatal mothers. This exploratory study investigated the effects of a 2-week daily dietary flavonoid intervention on mood (PANAS-NOW), anxiety (STAI), depressive symptoms (PHQ-8) and perceived quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) in forty-one new mothers in the 0–12-month postnatal period, before and after flavonoid intervention. Mothers either added high flavonoid foods to their daily diet, or did not include additions following a randomised, between-groups, controlled design. Significant effects were observed in the flavonoid group with mothers reporting lower state anxiety and higher perceived quality of physical health at the 2-week timepoint. These findings suggest that regular dietary consumption of flavonoids may benefit mothers’ anxiety and perceived quality of life in the postnatal period. Replication of these results may indicate the potential for dietary flavonoids to promote healthy mood regulation in mothers or prevent the onset or severity of symptoms in postnatal psychological disorders, both of which would be beneficial for women’s health services and public mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-653f5c9cdaf04f35bff969c3158f81f4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-653f5c9cdaf04f35bff969c3158f81f42023-11-22T04:36:39ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-07-01137238310.3390/nu13072383Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of LifeKatie Louise Barfoot0Rachel Forster1Daniel Joseph Lamport2School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 7BE, UKSchool of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 7BE, UKSchool of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 7BE, UKThe postnatal period is a significant period of physical, physiological and psychological change for mothers, rendering them particularly vulnerable to changes in mood or disorders such as postnatal depression (PND). Previous interventions with foods high in flavonoids have demonstrated beneficial acute and chronic mood effects in healthy child, adolescent and adult populations. It is unclear whether mood effects persist in populations who are potentially at-risk of developing mood disorders, such as postnatal mothers. This exploratory study investigated the effects of a 2-week daily dietary flavonoid intervention on mood (PANAS-NOW), anxiety (STAI), depressive symptoms (PHQ-8) and perceived quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) in forty-one new mothers in the 0–12-month postnatal period, before and after flavonoid intervention. Mothers either added high flavonoid foods to their daily diet, or did not include additions following a randomised, between-groups, controlled design. Significant effects were observed in the flavonoid group with mothers reporting lower state anxiety and higher perceived quality of physical health at the 2-week timepoint. These findings suggest that regular dietary consumption of flavonoids may benefit mothers’ anxiety and perceived quality of life in the postnatal period. Replication of these results may indicate the potential for dietary flavonoids to promote healthy mood regulation in mothers or prevent the onset or severity of symptoms in postnatal psychological disorders, both of which would be beneficial for women’s health services and public mental health.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2383mothersmoodanxietymental healthwomen’s healthpostnatal depression |
| spellingShingle | Katie Louise Barfoot Rachel Forster Daniel Joseph Lamport Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life Nutrients mothers mood anxiety mental health women’s health postnatal depression |
| title | Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life |
| title_full | Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life |
| title_fullStr | Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life |
| title_short | Mental Health in New Mothers: A Randomised Controlled Study into the Effects of Dietary Flavonoids on Mood and Perceived Quality of Life |
| title_sort | mental health in new mothers a randomised controlled study into the effects of dietary flavonoids on mood and perceived quality of life |
| topic | mothers mood anxiety mental health women’s health postnatal depression |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2383 |
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