COVID-19 and Dietary Trends Impact Depression and the Microbiome in Teens

The growing rate of depression in adolescents post-COVID-19 has sparked debates regarding the best method through which the risk of depression can be decreased in this population. One pathway of emerging focus is the therapeutic potential of the gut-brain axis. The Western, Keto, and vegetarian diets have become more common, but their relationship with the gut-brain axis and depression remains largely unexplored in teens. COVID-19 is associated with a shift towards greater social isolation, more social media usage, and greater consumption of processed foods. These factors negatively affect the microbiome, leading to greater neuroinflammation and risk of depression. As depression becomes increasingly common in adolescents, new avenues to mitigate the effects of antidepressants are imperative. This review evaluates the current literature on these relationships and proposes future research directions. Specifically, a high-fiber diet could reduce neuroinflammation, bolster the microbiome, and help the effectiveness of antidepressants. This implies that dietary guidelines could serve as therapeutic interventions for depression in teens, as major depressive disorder (MDD) rates increase in a post-COVID world.