The FondaMental Foundation announces the launch of Food4Mood, a mobile application that offers personalized nutritional advice to prevent and manage depression, on the occasion of an information day dedicated to the role of diet in depression. The result of a collaboration between the FondaMental Foundation, DietSensor, the Australian Food and Mood Center and Inicea Mental Health and Addictology, Food4Mood is designed to help users adopt a diet that is beneficial for their mental health. Communiqué.
Diet, an essential lever in the fight against mood disorders
Diet plays a key role in the management of depression, both in prevention and in addition to traditional treatments. Scientific studies have shown that a balanced diet, particularly the Mediterranean diet which favors plant-based foods, can have a significant impact on mood disorders such as depression. This type of diet, rich in antioxidants, fiber and healthy fatty acids, helps reduce inflammation, a factor associated with mood disorders in 40% of cases. By integrating healthy eating habits, it is possible to prevent depressive episodes and improve the care of patients suffering from depression, by reinforcing the effects of psychotherapeutic and medicinal treatments.
Personalized nutritional advice to prevent and manage depression
Food4Mood’s goal is to be the first application in the world to integrate the nutritional component into the management of depression. By offering practical tools to modify eating habits, the application aims to prevent depressive episodes in people at risk (personal or family history of depression, chronic illnesses), while supporting the care of patients undergoing treatment. .
Food4Mood key features:
– Personalized health goals: Food4Mood adapts to the needs of each user by taking into account associated pathologies, such as diabetes, hypertension or hypercholesterolemia.
– Everyday Learning: Users receive science-based advice and information on nutrition and its impact on depression and other chronic illnesses, developed with support from the Food and Mood Center at Deakin University.
– Compose meals beneficial for mood: Thanks to a practical toolbox, the application helps to design meals rich in anti-inflammatory foods, respecting the principles of the Mediterranean diet.
– Progress tracking: Users can assess their progress with the PHQ-8 score, an internationally recognized scale for measuring the severity of depression, and the MEDAS score, which measures adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
– Physical activity tracking: Regular exercise is essential for mental well-being, and the app helps track steps and activities to complement nutritional efforts.
While depression affects 2.5 million French people each year, Food4Mood provides a concrete solution by combining nutrition and mental health. The application offers a new dimension to the management of depression, in addition to conventional treatments, and aims to sustainably support patients towards better mental and physical health.
• Launch of Food4Mood: an innovative application to improve mental health through food, press release from FondaMental, October 8, 2024.
• Food4Mood on Apple (Application on subscription or start a free trial period) and soon available on Android.
