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Longitudinal associations between fruit and vegetable intakes and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults from four international twin cohorts
Research indicates a potential link between higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and a lower risk of depression. Still, studies focusing on adults over 45 years are limited, and the possibility of residual confounding remains unexamined. This longitudinal study by Matison et al. (2024), involving 3483 twins aged 45-90 from Australia, Denmark, Sweden, and the USA, explored the relationship between initial fruit and vegetable intake and depressive symptoms over 5-11 years using linear mixed-effects models. Dietary intakes were categorized, and depressive symptoms were evaluated using validated tools. The co-twin method helped assess familial confounding. Compared to low intake levels, both high fruit and high vegetable consumption were linked to fewer depressive symptoms. In addition, there was a correlation between a modest vegetable diet and fewer symptoms of depression. No familial confounding was found for vegetable intake, but the results for fruit were inconclusive, likely due to smaller sample sizes and marginal significance. The results highlight the significance of increasing intake in persons over 45 by indicating that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may help lessen depressed symptoms. [NPID: Fruit, vegetables, depressive symptoms, twin study, longitudinal study]
Year: 2024
