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Dietary folate and the risk of depression in Finnish middle-aged men

Version 2 2024-06-04, 12:07
Version 1 2017-07-06, 14:49
journal contribution
posted on 2004-11-01, 00:00 authored by T Tolmunen, J Hintikka, Anu RuusunenAnu Ruusunen, S Voutilainen, A Tanskanen, V-P Valkonen, H Viinamäki, G A Kaplan, J T Salonen
Background: Several cross-sectional studies have focused on the low blood folate levels of depressive patients. Nevertheless, no prospective studies have been published on the association between dietary folate and depression. Methods: We studied the association between dietary folate and cobalamin and receiving a discharge diagnosis of depression in a prospective follow-up setting. Our cohort was recruited between 1984 and 1989 and followed until the end of 2000, and it consisted of 2,313 men aged between 42and 60 years from eastern Finland. Results: The mean intake of folate in the whole cohort was 256 µg/day (SD = 76). Those below the median of energy-adjusted folate intake had higher risk of getting discharge diagnosis of depression (RR 3.04, 95% CI: 1.58, 5.86) during the follow-up period than those who had a folate intake above the median. This excess risk remained significant after adjustment for current socioeconomic status, the baseline HPL depression score, the energy-adjusted daily intake of fibre and vitamin C, and the total fat intake. Conclusions: A low dietary intake of folate may be a risk factor for severe depression. This also indicates that nutrition may have a role in the prevention of depression.

History

Journal

Psychotherapy and psychosomatics

Volume

73

Issue

6

Pagination

334 - 339

Publisher

S Karger AG

Location

Basel, Switzerland

ISSN

0033-3190

eISSN

1423-0348

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2004, S. Karger AG, Basel

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