Furthermore, according to WHO estimates, depression is the leading cause of disability and will become a leading factor in the global disease burden by the year 2030.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that an estimated 350 million people of all ages worldwide have depression. This study revealed a relationship between higher seaweed intake and a lower incidence of depressive symptoms in Japanese adults.ĭepression is a common mental disorder, and the incidence of depressive illness has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. Conversely, odds ratios (95% CI) for depressive symptoms were lower in the participants who had higher seaweed intake than in those who had lower seaweed intake (decreased, 1.00 unchanged, 0.32 increased, 0.34 p for trend = 0.032) after adjusting for confounding factors. Multivariate analysis showed that baseline seaweed intakes were not significantly associated with the incidence of depressive symptoms ( p for trend = 0.501). ResultsĪt the 3-year follow-up, 46 participants (9.2%) showed depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were defined as an SDS score of ≥50 in the present study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using a Japanese version of the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Consumption of seaweed was assessed using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire, and changes in seaweed consumption were divided into three categories (decreased, unchanged, and increased). In a prospective study conducted between 20, 500 Japanese adult employees aged 20–74 years participated and were included in the final analysis. This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the association between daily seaweed intake and depressive symptoms.