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In the News, Summer 2024: Boosting Fruit Consumption May Reduce Depression

A longitudinal study of fruit consumption involving over 13,000 participants in the Singapore Health Study found that those who consumed higher quantities of fruit in midlife had less likelihood of depressive symptoms in their later years.
The participants were an average of 52 years old at baseline, when they completed a food-frequency questionnaire focused on their intake of 14 fruits and 25 vegetables. After a mean follow-up period of almost 20 years, when they had reached an average age of 73, they were assessed for depressive symptoms. The findings revealed that higher fruit consumption was associated with lower risk of depression in a dose-dependent manner. The same association was not seen with vegetable consumption.
The researchers concluded, “Given the rising prevalence of depressive symptoms among older adults in late life, interventions which encourage consumption of fruits [in] early life may prove to be feasible and effective in reducing the likelihood of depressive symptoms in older adults. However, further studies are still needed to investigate the underlying micronutrients in fruits that may mediate the protective effects against development of depression.”
Sources:
National University of Singapore. Boosting fruit intake during midlife can ward off late-life blues. ScienceDaily, July 22, 2024. sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240722155127.htm.
Li H, Sheng L-T, Jin A, Pan A, Koh W-P. Association between consumption of fruits and vegetables in midlife and depressive symptoms in late life: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2024; 28(6):100275. doi:10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100275.