The association between raw garlic consumption and the risk of depressive symptoms: the TCLSIH cohort study.

Background: Garlic has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular improvement and other beneficial effects on human health. However, few studies have evaluated the association of garlic intake with the risk of depressive symptoms. The aim of this prospective cohort was to examine the association between the frequency of raw garlic consumption and depressive symptoms in the general adult population. Methods: A total of 7427 participants (mean ± standard deviation: 39.7 ± 10.5 years) without baseline depressive symptoms were included in the cohort study. Garlic consumption was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were assessed by a Chinese version of the Self-rating Depression Scale score (SDS score ≥ 45). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between garlic consumption and the risk of depressive symptoms. Results: This study identified 1070 cases of depressive symptoms during a median follow-up of 2.0 years, with a depression prevalence of 73.4 cases per 1000 person-years. After multivariate adjustment, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms in males were 1.00 (reference) for almost never, 1.05 (0.84, 1.32) for ≤1 time per week, 1.16 (0.90, 1.49) for 2-3 times per week, and 1.31 (0.97, 1.78) for ≥4 times per week, and in females, they were 1.00 (reference) for almost never, 0.85 (0.69, 1.06) for ≤1 time per week, 0.72 (0.54, 0.97) for 2-3 times per week, and 0.78 (0.53, 1.13) for ≥4 times per week. Conclusion: In a large general population, we demonstrate for the first time that moderate raw garlic consumption is associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in females, but not in males. Additional prospective studies with long-term follow-up and randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm the preliminary results of the current study.

Longitudinal association between soft drink consumption and handgrip strength in adults: a prospective analysis from the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) cohort study.

Soft drink consumption has become a highly controversial public health issue. Given the pattern of consumption in China, sugar-sweetened beverage is the main type of soft drink consumed. Due to containing high levels of fructose, a soft drink may have a deleterious effect on handgrip strength (HGS) due to oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance. However, few studies show an association between soft drink consumption and HGS in adults. We aimed to investigate the association between soft drink consumption and longitudinal changes in HGS among a Chinese adult population. A longitudinal population-based cohort study (5-year follow-up, median: 3·66 years) was conducted in Tianjin, China. A total of 11 125 participants (56·7 % men) were enrolled. HGS was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Soft drink consumption (mainly sugar-containing carbonated beverages) was measured at baseline using a validated FFQ. ANCOVA was used to evaluate the association between soft drink consumption and annual change in HGS or weight-adjusted HGS. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the least square means (95 % CI) of annual change in HGS across soft drink consumption frequencies were -0·70 (-2·49, 1·09) for rarely drinks, -0·82 (-2·62, 0·97) for < 1 cup/week and -0·86 (-2·66, 0·93) for ≥ 1 cup/week (Pfor trend < 0·05). Likewise, a similar association was observed between soft drink consumption and annual change in weight-adjusted HGS. The results indicate that higher soft drink consumption was associated with faster HGS decline in Chinese adults.