Dietary Folate and the Risk of Depression in Finnish Middle-Aged Men

Vol. 73, No. 6, 2004

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Regular Article

Dietary Folate and the Risk of Depression in Finnish Middle-Aged Men
A Prospective Follow-Up Study
Tommi Tolmunen^a, Jukka Hintikka^a, Anu Ruusunen^b, Sari Voutilainen^b, Antti Tanskanen^a, Veli-Pekka Valkonen^b, Heimo Viinamäki^a, George A. Kaplan^e, Jukka T. Salonen^b-d

^aDepartment of Psychiatry,
^bResearch Institute of Public Health and
^cDepartment of Public Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, and
^dInner Savo Health Centre, Suonenjoki, Finland;
^eDepartment of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Psychother Psychosom 2004;73:334-339 (DOI: 10.1159/000080385)

Key Words

Depression
Diet
Folate
Folic acid
Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study

Abstract

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.

Author Contacts

Prof. J.T. Salonen
Research Institute of Public Health
University of Kuopio
PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio (Finland)
Tel. +358 1716 2990, Fax +358 1716 2937, E-Mail jukka.salonen@uku.fi

Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 30

Medline Abstract (ID 15479987)

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