A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 13 prospective cohort studies (n=385,449 participants; 26,592 depression cases) examined whether fruit and vegetable intake is associated with incident depression risk, including separate and combined analyses with linear and non-linear dose-response modeling.
Highest vs. lowest combined fruit and vegetable intake was linked to a 37% lower depression risk (RR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.50–0.80); each 200 g/day increase corresponded to a 16% reduction (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.74–0.94). Fruit and vegetable intakes alone reduced risk by 16% and 12%, respectively, with a non-linear dose-response for vegetables.
All included studies are observational, so residual confounding cannot be ruled out. Dietary intake was self-reported across cohorts, introducing measurement error. Heterogeneity in depression definitions and assessment methods across studies may affect pooled estimates.
Clinicians can reinforce fruit and vegetable consumption as part of mental health counseling, given consistent associations with lower depression risk across large cohorts. Caution is warranted in attributing causality; dietary advice should complement, not replace, established depression treatments.
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