Tomato-Rich Diet Reduces Depressive Symptoms
Increased intake of tomato products lowers the risk of depression, according to a new study published in July 2012. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that one in 10 Americans report depression, and 9.1 percent of individuals met the diagnostic criteria for depression. Tomato products contain large amounts of lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant activity.
The subjects included 986 elderly Japanese individuals age 70 years or older. The investigators assessed dietary intake using a diet-history questionnaire and depressive symptoms using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale.
The researchers determined that 34.9 percent of the subjects had mild depression and 20.2 percent had severe depression. The researchers showed that the subjects with the greatest intake of tomato products had a 52 percent decrease in the likelihood of developing depression compared to the subjects with the lowest intake. The researchers did not find a relationship between intake of other kinds of vegetables and depressive symptoms.
The study authors stated, “This study demonstrated that a tomato-rich diet is independently related to lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. These results suggest that a tomato-rich diet may have a beneficial effect on the prevention of depressive symptoms.”
Reference:
Niu K, et al. J Affect Disord. 2012 Jul 25.
