Abstract:To well understand the current research status on the relationship between food and depression, the authors determined the optimal search terms for Web of Science Database Topic retrieval. The general characteristics of literature was analyzed online, and the network clustering and co-occurrence analysis were conducted using CiteSpace software. A narrative review of key literature was carried out. The literature volume increased significantly in 2020. Most articles have been published in journals of food, and from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and China with the disciplines of psychiatry, nutrition, and food science. Frontier keywords include food addiction, gut microbiota, food insecurity, etc., showing a phenomenon of 'ebb and flow' against the different citation clusters. Factors contributing to depression include dietary inflammation, eating disorders, overweight, metabolic syndrome and COVID-19. The overwhelming conclusion is that healthy eating patterns have a positive effect on depression. Developed countries are leading the research, and major traumatic events are promoting research progress. The research frontiers include food addiction, food insecurity, and gut bacteria. The research paradigm has shifted from narrow perspectives to macroscopic view, and diet is expected to become an important intervention for depression.
