The association between diet and depression
Dec 10, 2019Your diet can put you at risk of depression, according to a new study conducted in Canada as part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The study was based on analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data and included a sample of 27,162 men and women aged 45-85 years, of whom 4,739 are immigrants. The article was published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Psychiatry.
The study explored associations between dietary patterns and depression in both non-immigrant and immigrant participants. A few important associations were observed as follows:
- For women, not completing secondary school (OR = 1.23) stage 1 hypertension (OR = 1.31), chronic pain (OR = 1.79), low fruit/vegetable intakes (OR = 1.33), and fruit juice (OR = 1.80), chocolate (ORs = 1.15–1.66), or salty snack (OR = 1.19) consumption were associated with depression.
- For men, being in a relationship (OR = 0.62), completing postsecondary
education (OR = 0.82), higher fat (ORs = 0.67–83) and omega-3 egg intake (OR = 0.86) as well as moderate intakes of fruits/vegetables and calcium/high vitamin D sources (ORs = 0.71–0.743) predicted a lower likelihood of depression.
- For men, chronic conditions (ORs = 1.36–3.65), chronic pain (OR = 1.86), smoking (OR = 1.17), or chocolate consumption (ORs = 1.14–1.720 predicted a higher likelihood of depression.
- For all participants, lower grip strength (OR = 1.25) and high nutritional risk (OR = 2.24), were associated with depression.
The consumption of fruits and vegetables was protective against depression in this study, which has also been found in previous research. The autos suggest that anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant components in fruits and vegetables may account for this relationship. It is hypothesised that various minerals and vitamins (e.g., magnesium, zinc, selenium) present in fruits and vegetables may reduce plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein, a marker of low-grade inflammation associated with depression.
The full research article may be accessed here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6833158/pdf/12888_2019_Article_2309.pdf
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