The association between dietary quercetin intake and risk of depressive symptoms: the TCLSIH cohort study

Tong P, Yu J, Wang Y, Yu H, Wang D, Gu Y, Wu H, Meng G et al.

International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 2025

7,766 participants

Abstract

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that dietary polyphenols may be linked to positive effects on brain health. This study aimed to examine the association between the quercetin intake and depressive symptoms. A total of 7766 participants without baseline depressive symptoms were included. Dietary quercetin intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were assessed by the Self-Rating Depression Scale score. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association. After multivariate adjustment, as quartiles of quercetin intake increased, HRs (95% CIs) for depressive symptoms were 1.00 (reference value), 0.72 (0.56, 0.93), 0.69 (0.53, 0.90), and 0.63 (0.46, 0.85) in females (p for trend=0.0026) and 1.00 (reference), 0.94 (0.75, 1.17), 0.84 (0.66, 1.06), and 0.92 (0.71, 1.20) in males (p for trend=0.35), respectively. Our study revealed that dietary quercetin intake may reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in female, but not in males.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 7,766 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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