Association of dietary and blood inflammatory indicators with depression, anxiety, and stress in adults with vitamin D deficiency

Background There is growing evidence that vitamin D may be related to mental health. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association of dietary and blood inflammatory factors with mental health disorders in subjects with vitamin D deficiency, shedding further light on the complex interplay of these conditions. Method In this cross‐sectional study, 306 subjects completed the validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale questionnaire to evaluate their depression, anxiety, and stress scores. Dietary inflammatory index (DII) and healthy eating index (HEI) were calculated using a validated 65‐item food frequency questionnaire. Blood samples were taken and vitamin D, cytokine, and hs‐CRP levels were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kits. Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were calculated using standard laboratory methods. Results The subjects were divided into two groups based on their vitamin D levels: a vitamin D