Dietary counseling plus omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: results of a randomized wait-list controlled pilot trial (the ‘EASe-GAD Trial’)
Aucoin, M
LaChance, L
van der Wurff, I
McLaren, M
Monteiro, S
Miller, S
Jenkins, A
Sabri, E
Cooley, K
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- Nutritional Neuroscience, 2025, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print), pp. 1-14
- Issue Date:
- 2025-09-24
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OBJECTIVES Clinical evidence suggests that nutrition interventions can significantly improve symptoms of major depressive disorder however, the effect on clinical anxiety symptoms in individuals with anxiety disorders has not been studied. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a nutrition intervention. The secondary objectives included assessing changes in anxiety symptom severity, diet quality, self-efficacy, mindful eating, quality of life, and biomarkers. METHODS This study was a randomized, wait-list controlled pilot trial delivering a 12-week, biweekly dietary counseling intervention and omega-3 supplementation to 50 adult women with generalized anxiety disorder. Questionnaires and blood work were completed at baseline, after the waiting period, and after the intervention. RESULTS 443 individuals expressed interest within eight months 50 met the criteria for enrollment. The mean number of sessions attended was 6.4. Final questionnaires were completed by 46 participants. Eighty-four percent of participants strongly agreed with the statement My experience during this study was positive . The mean anxiety symptom severity score in the intervention group was 26.2 (95 CI 22.94-29.48) at baseline and 11.0 (95 CI 8.05-13.87) at week 12. The mean diet quality score was 7.2 (95 CI 6.32-8.10) and 10.5 (95 CI 9.55-11.49) at baseline and week 12, respectively. Among the waitlist participants, the mean baseline anxiety score was 29.3 (95 CI 24.73-33.91) and 26.8 (95 CI 22.09-31.56) at week 12. DISCUSSION This study was feasible and acceptable. Participation in the intervention was associated with a decrease in anxiety symptoms. These findings lay the foundation for large-scale studies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05573672.
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