Abstract
Curcumin has previously been shown to enhance mood in non-depressed older adults. However, observed benefits were limited to short-term supplementation (4 weeks). In a 16 week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design trial, we supplemented overweight or obese non-depressed adults (50–80 years) with curcumin (160 mg/day), fish oil (2000 mg docosahexaenoic acid +400 mg eicosapentaenoic acid/day), or a combination of both. Secondary outcomes included mental wellbeing measures (mood states and subjective memory complaints (SMCs)) and quality of life (QoL). Furthermore, plasma apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) was measured to determine whether APOE4 status influences responses to fish oil. Curcumin improved vigour (p = 0.044) compared to placebo and reduced SMCs compared to no curcumin treatment (p = 0.038). Fish oil did not affect any mood states, SMCs or QoL; however, responses to fish oil were affected by APOE4 status. In APOE4 non-carriers, fish oil increased vigour (p = 0.030) and reduced total mood disturbances (p = 0.048) compared to placebo. Improvements in mental wellbeing were correlated with increased QoL. Combining curcumin with fish oil did not result in additive effects. This exploratory analysis indicates that regular supplementation with either curcumin or fish oil (limited to APOE4 non-carriers) has the potential to improve some aspects of mental wellbeing in association with better QoL.
Highlights
10–20% of older adults worldwide are affected by late-life depression, defined as a major depressive episode after the age of 60 [1,2]
Combining curcumin with fish oil did not result in additive effects. This exploratory analysis indicates that regular supplementation with either curcumin or fish oil has the potential to improve some aspects of mental wellbeing in association with better quality of life (QoL)
We examined effects on mental wellbeing measures and general health perception (QoL) and whether the response to fish oil might be influenced by a participant’s apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) status
Summary
10–20% of older adults worldwide are affected by late-life depression, defined as a major depressive episode after the age of 60 [1,2]. Depression often goes undetected in the elderly due to individuals under-reporting their symptoms and symptoms being confused with other age-related issues by family members or health care workers [3]. One potential preventative strategy to reduce the risk of late-life depression is to supplement the diet with mood-enhancing bioactive nutrients, such as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3 PUFAs) and curcumin, to improve mood in order to counteract development of depressive symptoms and poor mental wellbeing. The main active polyphenolic compound of the curry spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms in individuals suffering from depression [8] and, Nutrients 2020, 12, 2902; doi:10.3390/nu12102902 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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