Do you have the blues? Nearly one in three older people experience depression.
Depression is not a normal part of aging, but it is more common in people with health problems like heart disease or cancer, limited mobility or sleep problems – all circumstances associated with aging.
The good news is that a healthy treat can lift the spirits of older adults, a new study suggests.
Blueberries could be an easy pick-me-up for the blues, new research suggests.
Boston researchers found that eating blueberry powder for three months led to improvement in depressive symptoms.
Here’s what they think is at stake.
Brighten up with blueberries
This pilot study involved 18 participants, aged 65 and over, presenting depressive symptoms.
They were divided into two groups: One group ate 48 grams (about 2 cups) of freeze-dried blueberry powder per day for three months, while the other just ate. believed they took blueberry powder. It was a placebo.
At the end, both groups had better mood and fewer depressive symptoms. They also saw benefits of the same magnitude. There was no statistical difference between the groups.
“Although the changes in mental well-being outcomes were not different between groups, they appeared to be ‘improvements’ of greater magnitude in the blueberry group, with less variability compared to the placebo group,” the researchers wrote.
The gut-brain axis
The authors believed that eating this fruit would change the gut microbiome, which could help combat depression.
Separate research suggests that gut microbes affect the production and regulation of neurotransmitters that play an important role in mood and stress, such as GABA and serotonin. The vagus nerve carries signals directly between the gut and the brain on what is known as the gut-brain axis.
In this new study, those who ate blueberries daily saw subtle changes in their gut microbiome.
Five bacterial enzymes were increased, among which the authors focused on the polyamine-transporting ATPase, which could help stimulate GABA.
This neurotransmitter is responsible for slowing down brain activity to calm the nervous system. Some studies show that people with depression have lower GABA levels.
Further research is needed
The researchers point out: Although there was no statistical difference between the blueberry group and the placebo group when it came to mood changes, this might not be the case in a larger, more diverse study.
“This pilot study was designed to test the feasibility of the intervention and gather preliminary outcome data needed to estimate the power of a larger trial,” they wrote.
They acknowledged that their sample size was very small and homogeneous – most were white women.
Supplements are becoming a popular way to improve mood at the gut level, with products like “psychobiotics” – probiotics that some studies have linked to improved mood. But not all experts agree with it.
“(Physicians) should be extremely cautious about recommending this to patients because the evidence is still developing,” gastroenterologist Dr. David Levinthal, director of the UPMC Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center, told the Post.
Other experts say that rather than adding these supplements, remove junk food from your diet.
With the blueberry approach, it may be less about adding healthy bacteria and more about anthocyanins – the pigments that make berries blue. The authors of a 2024 study say they can inhibit MAO, which breaks down important mood neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Gn Health
