Flavonoids Could Fight Depression in Later Life

13 Oct 2016 --- A new study into the long-term effects of a flavonoid-rich diet claims the compounds in plant foods may interrupt the pathophysiology of depression.

As depression is the leading cause of disability around the world, many sufferers do not necessarily respond fully to the treatments available and so, preventing depression has the potential to improve the health and quality of life of millions of people.

New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked into diet as a way of addressing depression risk and it found the potential of dietary flavonoids to reduce risk of the condition. It particular, the study examined dietary flavonoid intake and risk of incident depression in midlife and older women.

The study investigated whether long-term intake of the different subclass of flavonoids such as flavonols, flavones, flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, polymeric flavonoids and proanthocyanidins were connected to depression incidence. Flavonoids have been shown to combat neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death. In addition, some flavonoids seem to improve blood flow, and that may help prevent age-related depression, which is influenced by vascular health.
 
The researchers also examined the connection between specific flavonoid-rich foods and depression risk. More than 80,000 women were followed for this study and around 10,000 cases of depression were noted at the ten-year follow up. 
 
By analyzing food frequency questionnaires and other data, the researchers found inverse associations between depression risk and flavonol, flavone, and flavanone intake. The women who consumed more citrus fruits or juices had a lower incidence of depression.

In women aged 65 and over, all subclasses of flavonoids except flavan-3-ols were associated with significantly lower risk of depression. The strongest associations were seen with flavones with good dietary sources coming from oranges, apples and celery and and proanthocyanidins via apples, chocolate and grapes. 
 
The conclusion of the study says that further studies are needed to confirm these associations and that higher flavonoid intake may be linked with reducing the risk of developing depression, especially later on in life.