Dietary Vitamin C and Vitamin C Derived from Vegetables Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Depressive Symptoms among the General Population

Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant. Reducing the level of oxidative stress can alleviate depression. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms in the general population. Data from the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used in our study. The dietary intake of vitamin C was assessed by two 24-h dietary recalls. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to assess the relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of depressive symptoms for the highest vs. lowest category of dietary vitamin C intake and vitamin C intake derived from vegetables were 0.73 (0.58-0.91) and 0.73 (0.56-0.95). In subgroup analyses, dietary vitamin C intake was negatively correlated with the risk of depressive symptoms in females 18-39 years old and 40-59 year-old groups. A dose-response analysis showed that there was a nonlinear relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of depressive symptoms. Dietary vitamin C intake and vitamin C intake derived from vegetables were inversely associated with the risk of depressive symptoms among the general population. We recommend increasing the intake of vegetables in daily diet.