Micronutrients and Mood (360G-Wellcome-212557_Z_18_Z)

Depression and anxiety disorders are becoming increasingly common. There is some research suggesting that our diet, (what we eat) might make us more likely to become depressed and anxious. This type of research is called 'Nutritional Psychiatry' research. Many research studies have shown that people with depression and anxiety disorders do not have enough of certain 'micronutrients' either in their food, or in their blood. One example is magnesium, which is contained within green leafy vegetables, and is lacking in processed foods. It is possible that our society is not consuming enough magnesium, which could be increasing the number of people with depression and anxiety. However, it is difficult to say whether a low magnesium in depressed people was the cause of their depression. It may be because people with depression eat less healthily, or because people with other problems (alcohol use or long term illnesses) are more likely to get depressed. This research will aim to get around these difficulties by using our DNA or genetic code to look at whether genetic differences that result in having lower magnesium, are also linked to our risk of depression.