Timing matters? Assessing the relationship between a regular eating pattern compared to intermittent fasting (early versus late) and mental health outcomes: A cross-sectional study.

内容摘要

Depressive and anxiety disorders are prevalent, impactful conditions that are rising globally. Antidepressants showed limited efficacy and side effects, highlighting the need for alternatives. Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a potential nutritional strategy to improve mood-related symptoms (MRSs). To evaluate differences in anxiety and depression between adults practising IF and those following a regular eating pattern (REP), exploring variations within IF groups, comparing early IF (EIF; morning/afternoon feeding), late IF (LIF; afternoon/evening feeding) and REP groups, and between sexes. A cross-sectional study (May 2024-May 2025) employed an anonymous 41-question online survey distributed globally, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire to assess anxiety and depression. Data from 302 healthy participants aged 18-65 (88 male, 214 female) were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics. A two-way ANOVA examined the effects of sex and eating patterns on anxiety and depression. Participants included 214/302 (70.9%) in the REP and 88/302 (29.1%) in the IF group, with 22/302 (7.2%) in the EIF and 66/302 (21.9%) in the LIF group. Females reported significantly higher mean anxiety than males (p = 0.047). The IF group reported significantly lower anxiety (p = 0.031) and depression (p = 0.022) than the REP group. Our findings suggest an association between IF and reduced anxiety and depression. Further research is needed to elucidate the IF-MRSs relationship, explore sex-specific approaches and optimal dietary strategies to improve MRSs.