Cited by 151Nutritional Studies and DietPhytochemicals and Antioxidant ActivitiesTryptophan and brain disorders

Effects of Polyphenols in a Mediterranean Diet on Symptoms of Depression: A Systematic Literature Review

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Bayes, Jessica, Schloss, Janet, Sibbritt, David·2020·Advances in Nutrition

Abstract

Depression is a mood disorder which currently affects 350 million individuals worldwide. Recently, research has suggested a protective role of diet for depression. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern has been highlighted in several systematic reviews as a promising candidate for reducing depressive symptoms. It has been speculated that this could be due to the high polyphenol content of foods commonly found in the diet. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess the effects of polyphenols found in a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression. A systematic literature review was conducted of original research which assessed the role of polyphenols on the symptoms of depression in humans. The following databases were searched: PROQUEST, SCOPUS (Elsevier), MEDLINE (EBSCO), CINAHL, and EMBase, up to 18 February, 2019. The inclusion criteria consisted of both observational and experimental research in adults aged 18-80 y that assessed depression scores in relation to polyphenol intake. A total of 37 studies out of 12,084 met the full inclusion criteria. Of these, 17 were experimental studies and 20 were observational studies. Several different polyphenols were assessed including those from tea, coffee, citrus, nuts, soy, grapes, legumes, and spices. Twenty-nine of the studies found a statistically significant effect of polyphenols for depression. This review has found both an association between polyphenol consumption and depression risk, as well as evidence suggesting polyphenols can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms. The review uncovered gaps in the literature regarding the role of polyphenols for depressive symptoms in both young adults and men. This review was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019125747.

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Crossref · 10.1093/advances/nmz117

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Authors
Bayes, J., Schloss, J., & Sibbritt, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Technology Sydney (AU)
  • Endeavour College of Natural Health (AU)
Corresponding author
Bayes, Jessica
Venue
Advances in Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-05
Volume
11
Issue
3
Pages
602-615
ISSN
  • 2156-5376 (ISSN-L)
  • 2161-8313
OpenAlex
W2991943222
Cited by
150
References
75
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 1
FWCI
1.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Advances in Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
polyphenols, Mediterranean diet, depression, depressive symptoms, dietary intake, tea, coffee, citrus, nuts, soybean, grapes, Fabaceae, spices, diet and mental health
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Coffee, Depression, Diet, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Vegetables, Diet, Mediterranean, Young Adult, Polyphenols

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