The population is rapidly aging worldwide and there is an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms in later life among older adults, including feelings of depression, lack of pleasure, slowed cognitive processing and reduced volitional activity, often accompanied by loss of appetite, insomnia and poor concentration. and increased fatigue. This has been linked to underlying neurodegenerative changes in the brain associated with aging. The growing need to keep older adults in good health has prompted extensive research into approaches that can prevent depression in later life, and accumulating evidence has highlighted the plausible role of dietary factors in protecting against depression as we age brought. Can specific foods or food products consumed earlier in life have an impact on mental well-being later in life?
In a longitudinal study conducted by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), involving 13,738 participants from the large population-based Singapore Chinese Health Study, which followed participants from middle to late life , spanning about 20 years, researchers found that participants who consumed larger amounts of fruit earlier in life were less likely to experience depressive symptoms later in life.
The authors studied a total of 14 fruits most commonly consumed in Singapore and found that consumption of most fruits, including oranges, tangerines, bananas, papaya, watermelon, apple and honeydew melon, was associated with a reduced risk of depression. The link may be due to the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients in fruits – such as vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids – which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory processes in the body that can influence the development of disease. depression. Vegetable consumption, on the other hand, did not appear to be related to the risk of depressive symptoms. The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, provide valuable insights into the potential benefits of eating enough fruit in alleviating depressive symptoms later in life.
Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program at NUS Medicine and principal investigator of the study, said: “Our study underlines the importance of fruit consumption as a preventive measure against ageing-related depression. In our study population, participants who ate at least three servings of fruit per day, compared to those who ate less than one serving per day, could significantly reduce the risk of aging-related depression by at least 21%. This can be achieved by eating one to two servings of fruit after each meal. We did not see any difference in our results between high and low glycemic index fruits. Therefore, people with diabetes can choose fruits with a low glycemic index that do not raise blood sugar levels as much as fruits with a high index. .”
In the initial phase of the study, from 1993 to 1998, when participants had an average age of 51 years, they were asked to answer a structured questionnaire about how often they consumed a standard serving of each food item daily, for 14 fruits and 25 pieces . vegetables. In the period 2014 to 2016, when participants had an average age of 73 years, depressive symptoms were examined using a standard test (Geriatric Depression Scale). In our study, 3,180 (23.1%) participants who reported having five or more symptoms were considered to have depression. . After adjusting for factors that could potentially confound the relationship, including medical history, smoking status, physical activity level, sleep duration and aging-related factors, the team found that higher consumption of fruits, but not vegetables, was associated with lower odds. of depressive symptoms in a stepwise manner.
Prof Koh added: “Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption in mid-life and the risk of depressive symptoms later in life. Although other studies have also examined the associations of fruits and vegetables with the risk of depression, there are inconsistencies in the results, and many have been conducted in Western populations. To our knowledge, our study is the largest population-based study in an Asian population to study this association.
These findings suggest that promoting fruit consumption for individuals in mid-adulthood, typically defined as ages 40 to 65, could have long-term benefits for their mental well-being in later life after age 65. Therefore, the study results have significant implications for public health education and initiatives to make fruit more accessible to the general population. Following the study, the research team will examine the association of other modifiable behavioral factors, such as sleep duration, smoking and other dietary factors, with the mental health of older adults.
