Dietary intake and plasma status of total carotenoids are inversely associated with depressive symptomatology in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

Abstract

Antioxidant nutrients may play important roles in affective disorders, including depression. We examined associations of dietary intake and plasma status of total carotenoids with depressive symptomatology among 1216 Puerto Rican adults in the greater Boston area, aged 45 to 75 years. Depressive symptomatology was defined by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) score ≥16 or use of antidepressant medication. Intake of total carotenoids was inversely associated with CES‐D score (β = ‐4.2; P <0.001) after adjustment for age, sex, education, plasma cholesterol, vitamin B6, vitamin C and homocysteine, smoking, BMI and energy intake, using censored normal regression to account for antidepressant medication use. Similar association was observed for plasma carotenoids (β = ‐2.8; P <0.001). Further, both dietary intake and plasma status of total carotenoids were associated with lower risks of depressive symptomatology (odds ratios, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.51–0.95 unit of log‐transformed intake of total carotenoids [ug/d]; 0.82, 0.67–0.99 per μmol/L of plasma carotenoids) after adjustment for the same covariates. The inverse associations of intake and plasma status of total carotenoids with depressive symptomatology in this population suggest a protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake. Further population studies are needed to determine the causal direction. Supported by NIH P01 AG023394 and USDA ARS contract 58‐1950‐7‐707