A healthy diet, i.e., a balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods, may help reduce the risk of perinatal depression. A 2015 systematic review found an association between poor or unhealthy diets and prenatal depression/stress. However, the postnatal evidence they reviewed was mixed.[1] A 2019 review found an inverse association between a “healthy” diet and perinatal anxiety and depression.[2] Finally, a 2020 systematic review noted an inverse association between healthy postpartum diet and postpartum depression.[3] All three reviews concluded that more research is needed: more longitudinal studies with plenty of participants, as well as studies of specific dietary interventions.
How could diet affect PPD?
Written by:
Fact-checked
by:
•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
A healthy, balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of peripartum depression, as indicated by various systematic reviews that found associations between unhealthy diets and prenatal depression, as well as an inverse relationship between healthy diets and perinatal anxiety and depression. However, all of the reviews emphasized the need for further research to confirm these findings.