Globally, depression is a major public health concern. According to the World Health Organization, it is the largest contributor to non-fatal burden of disease, with more than 80% of this burden represented across low- and middle-income countries. A growing body of evidence suggests that dietary behaviors—in particular higher consumption of and vegetables—may be important in reducing the risk of .
led by Postdoctoral Fellow Annabel Matison from UNSW Sydney's Center for Healthy Brain Aging (CHeBA) published in the has for the first time addressed the lack of research evidence that exists for older adults or for people in low- to middle-income countries. "Compared with depression in younger adults, depression in older adults has a greater impact on physical performance and cognition and is associated with lower quality of life and higher death rate," says Matison. "Our aim with this study was to examine the associations between fruit and vegetable intake and depression in adults 45 years and older.
" Participants in the study came from multiple regions across six continents, including the United States, Sweden, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia and Australia. All data was collected and harmonized from ten , with all groups part of the CHeBA-led Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC). The researchers assessed 7,801 community-based adults without depression, and revealed a beneficial association between higher fruit intake and lower risk of depression over th.
