Researchers have linked the quality of nutrition with the frequency of symptoms of depression in the elderly

As we age, maintaining mental health becomes an important part of a fulfilling life. Emotional state can be influenced by various factors, including lifestyle and eating habits. A new study has shown that the quality of the diet is associated with the frequency of depressive symptoms in people over the age of 70, and this pattern persisted regardless of the genetic predisposition to depression and the level of chronic inflammation. About how nutrition is related to the mental health of the elderly, see the Izvestia article.

How is nutrition related to depressive symptoms

Researchers from the Deakin Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Practice, together with colleagues from Monash University and other scientific organizations, analyzed data from 7,220 people over the age of 70. The participants were monitored for an average of 5.7 years. The results of the work are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry (MP).

Scientists found that people who consumed four or more servings of ultra-processed foods per day had a 12% higher incidence of depressive symptoms than those who ate fewer servings. In addition, participants with a more anti-inflammatory diet had a 7% lower rate than people whose diet had a more pronounced inflammatory potential.

The authors evaluated not only individual products, but also the quality of food in general. They studied the relationship of eating habits with depressive symptoms, taking into account genetic predisposition and indicators of low-intensity chronic inflammation. The results indicate that dietary patterns may be one of the factors associated with mental health in old age.

However, the study does not prove that ultra-processed foods directly cause depression or that a certain diet is guaranteed to protect against it. Scientists have identified statistical relationships that require further study.

Scientists have pointed to the role of ultraprocessed foods in depression

What foods are important for the diet

The anti-inflammatory type of diet that the researchers considered involves a higher intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and olive oil. Such a diet provides the body with various nutrients and differs from a diet in which a significant proportion are products of deep industrial processing.

However, it would be wrong to evaluate nutrition only by the presence or absence of certain foods. The study took into account the general nature of the diet, rather than the influence of one particular dish or ingredient. Therefore, the results obtained do not allow us to single out the only product that by itself reduces the likelihood of depressive symptoms.

Scientists have learned about the different effects of the same calories depending on food processing

Why genetics and inflammation matter

The researchers separately tested whether the relationship between nutritional quality and depressive symptoms depends on a genetic predisposition to depression and the level of low-intensity chronic inflammation. It turned out that the revealed pattern persisted with different biological profiles of the participants. Mitek noted that the data obtained indicate the potential protective role of high-quality nutrition for older people with different biological characteristics.

According to the researcher, the prevention of depression in old age is important not only for the person himself, but also for his relatives, society and the healthcare system. However, the authors do not claim that nutrition completely neutralizes a genetic predisposition or eliminates chronic inflammation. The results show that the association between diet quality and depressive symptoms was observed independently of these factors.

Mohammadreza Mohebbi, an associate professor at Deakin University and senior author of the study, emphasized that eating habits can become one of the factors that are taken into account in the prevention and care of elderly people with mental disorders.

Scientists have linked lifestyle to biological aging

What does this mean for healthy aging?

The results of the study complement the data on the relationship between lifestyle and mental health in old age. Since nutrition is a variable factor, its quality can be taken into account in programs for healthy aging and prevention of depressive symptoms. The authors believe that these results can help in the development of nutrition recommendations in the field of mental health and public health.

However, the study does not prove that changing the diet alone prevents depression. Many circumstances affect the mental state, and the relationship between nutrition and symptoms can be explained not only directly by the composition of the products. Therefore, the results should be considered as additional evidence of the importance of a balanced diet, and not as a substitute for professional diagnosis and assistance.

The authors also note that the mechanisms of the influence of nutritional quality on late-onset depression remain not fully understood. Further research will help determine which features of the diet and related biological processes are most important for maintaining mental health in old age.