Boosting fruit intake during midlife can ward off late-life blues: NUS study
Published: 22 Jul 2024
(Photo credit: imagehitasia)
Populations are rapidly ageing worldwide, and there is an increased prevalence of late-life depressive symptoms among older adults, which include depressed feelings, lack of pleasure, delayed cognitive processing and reduced volitional activity, often accompanied by loss of appetite, insomnia, poor concentration, and increased fatigue. This has been related to underlying neurodegenerative changes in the brain associated with ageing. The growing imperative to keep older adults in good health has spurred extensive research into approaches that could prevent late-life depression, and accumulating evidence has revealed the plausible role of dietary factors in protecting against depression in ageing. Could specific diet or food items consumed earlier in life have an impact on mental well-being in later years?
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 that tracked participants through their mid-life to later life spanning about 20 years, researchers found that participants who consumed higher quantities of fruits earlier in life exhibited a reduced likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms later in life.
The authors studied a total of 14 fruits most commonly consumed in Singapore and found that the consumption of most fruits, including oranges, tangerines, bananas, papayas, watermelons, apple and honey melon, was associated with reduced likelihood of depression. The association could possibly be 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 may affect the development of depression. Consumption of vegetables, on the other hand, was found to have no association with the likelihood of depressive symptoms. The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, provide valuable insights into the potential benefits of eating sufficient fruits in mitigating depressive symptoms later in life.
Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme at NUS Medicine and Principal Investigator of the study, said, “Our study underscores the importance of fruit consumption as a preventive measure against ageing-related depression. In our study population, participants who had at least 3 servings of fruits a day, compared to those with less than one serving a day, were able to reduce the likelihood of ageing-related depression significantly by at least 21%. This can be achieved by eating one to two servings of fruits after every meal. We did not see any difference in our results between fruits with high and low glycemic index. Hence, for those with diabetes, they can choose fruits with low glycemic index that will not raise blood sugars as much as those with high index.”
Read more in the press release here
