Association between generalized anxiety disorder and live microbes intake in the United States general population

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder in primary care, affecting approximately 7% of US adults. Probiotics have been found to alleviate symptoms in GAD, but the relationship between dietary live microbes and GAD remains unclear. Our aim is to determine the relationship between the dietary live microbe consumption and GAD. We included 54 GAD patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and selected controls using a 1:4 propensity score matching. The diagnosis of GAD was based on the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The live microbe intake was calculated based on expert-specified estimates of food [low (Lo), < 104 CFU/g; medium (Med), 104–107 CFU/g; or high (Hi), > 107 CFU/g].We observed a significant reduction in Med foods intake among GAD patients compared with controls (OR: 0.44, CI: 0.21–0.92, p = 0.03), also lower household income. Additionally, higher intake of Med foods correlated with a lower risk of GAD in males (OR: 0.26, CI: 0.08–0.84, p = 0.03), individuals with ≤ High school education (OR: 0.37, CI: 0.14–0.95, p = 0.04), non-hypertensive participants (OR: 0.37, CI: 0.16–0.87, p = 0.02), and drinkers (OR: 0.41, CI: 0.19–0.89, p = 0.03). Consuming more Med foods like fruits and vegetables may be a protective factor for GAD and could aid in future dietary management. Additionally, GAD patients require more financial and social support.