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REVIEW

Relationship between dietary habits and mental health across the lifespan: A narrative review

Xiaoping Li1† ,  Hailing Ji2† ,  Yue Xu1† ,  Yuting Qiu1 ,  Shiyu Chen1 ,  Lailing Du1 ,  Jianguo Zhang3* ,  Xinling Zhang1*
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1 Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
2 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Weihai Medical District, the 970th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Weihai, Shandong, China
3 Hangzhou Huijian Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
HPR, 026120061 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026120061
Received: 17 March 2026 | Revised: 7 June 2026 | Accepted: 15 June 2026 | Published online: 2 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

There is a well-established link between dietary patterns and mental health. Nutritional intake provides essential nutrients crucial for physiological functions and significantly influences psychological processes and emotional states through multiple mechanisms. Infancy is a critical period for forming dietary preferences, with family environment and parental emotions significantly influencing dietary habits and emotional states. Dietary nutrients directly impact emotions and behavior during childhood, and good dietary habits are crucial for mental health. In adolescence, the relationship between dietary habits and mental health becomes more complex. Nutritional deficiencies and unhealthy dietary habits can lead to mood swings and psychological issues. In adulthood, academic pressure and lifestyle changes make the impact of dietary habits on mental health more pronounced; a healthy dietary pattern is associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression. In middle age, increasing work and family pressures can be mitigated by a healthy diet, which improves mood. In old age, dietary quality is closely related to mental health, with good dietary habits helping to reduce the risk of depression and cognitive decline. This paper emphasizes the importance of establishing healthy dietary habits at all life stages and offers intervention recommendations, providing a professional reference for promoting mental health.

Keywords
Across the lifespan
Diet
Mental health
Depression
Health promotion
Funding
T‍his work was financially supported by Zhejiang Shuren University Basic Scientific Research Special Funds (2024XZ011) and Zhejiang Health Information Association Research Program (Grant No. 2025XHZN-Z04). These funders had no role in the study design, literature interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit the article for publication.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest to report.
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