Association Between Plant-Based Diets and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adults

By:
Li Zhang, Shuai Chen, Lijuan Xu, Sui Tang, Chen Huang, Jin Zhou, Chang-Shu Liu, Sai Wang, Yang Cong, Tingting Li, Wenxue Zhang, Shuang Rong
Date:
2025
Resource type:
Peer review
Link:
View Review

This study investigated the association between plant-based diet quality and depressive symptoms (DepS) in 3,153 Chinese adults aged 45+. Using three plant-based diet indices—PDI, hPDI (healthful), and uPDI (unhealthful)—the study found that higher hPDI scores were significantly associated with lower odds of depression (OR = 0.60), while higher uPDI scores increased depression risk (OR = 1.81). These findings reinforce the need to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy plant-based foods in dietary recommendations. The results support using diet quality as a modifiable factor in mental health interventions for aging populations.

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