Micronutrient content in the diet of patients in psycho-neurological hospitals in Latvia

Mental health is influenced by a variety of factors, nutrition being one of the most important. Patients in psychiatric hospitals are provided with 24-hour care, including meals, and it is known that nutrition affects the well-being of patients. The intake of micronutrients has been associated with a reduction in depression.

The aim of the study was to evaluate patients' diets in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals according to the micronutrient recommendations provided by the Ministry of Health for the nutritional intake of the Latvian population. All data from the 21 menus provided by three Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals were processed using the Fineli program. Vitamin (B1, B2, B6, B12 and D) and mineral (calcium, iron, iodine, potassium, selenium, and zinc) content was determined for all menus, providing data on the total daily intake of micronutrients. The amount of potassium, selenium and zinc statistically significantly exceeded the recommended intake of trace elements for the population of Latvia. The amount of iron in the menus was found to be higher than that suggested by the national guidelines for men, whereas it was not statistically significantly different than the amount recommended for women. The amount of iodine in the menus was statistically significantly below the recommended level for both men and women. Iodine deficiency was observed in all hospital menus. No significant differences were found in the content of vitamins B2 and B12 for both men and women, whereas vitamins B1 and B6 exceeded Latvian recommendations for women. All hospital menus contained inadequate vitamin D levels in comparison to the established recommendations.