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Background: Depression in elderly people is a major global concern around the world. Epidemiological evidence of the association of beverages with depressive symptoms has received research attention; however, epidemiological studies on the association of coffee and green tea consumption with depressive symptoms among the elderly population are limited. The objective of this study is to cross-sectionally examine the association of depressive symptoms with the intake of coffee, green tea, and caffeine and to verify the antidepressant effect of caffeine. Methods: The subjects were 1,992 women aged 65–94 years. Intakes of coffee, green tea, and caffeine, as well as depressive symptoms, were assessed with a validated brief dietary history questionnaire (BDHQ) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for depressive symptoms with adjustments for potential confounders. Results: Coffee intake was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, the ORs of which for the 4th versus the 1st quartiles of intake was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.46–0.88, P for trend = 0.01) in a fully adjusted model. Caffeine intake was marginally associated with depressive symptoms, but the association was not statistically significant (OR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.55–1.02, P for trend = 0.058). Conclusion: The result suggests that the inverse association of coffee intake with depressive symptoms might be associated with not only caffeine intake but also some other substances in coffee or factors related to coffee intake. Because of the cross-sectional design of the present study, longitudinal studies are required to confirm the present finding.

Dietary fiber may play a favorable role in mood through gut microbiota, but epidemiologic evidence linking mood to dietary fiber intake is scarce in free-living populations. We investigated cross-sectionally the associations of dietary intakes of total, soluble, insoluble, and sources of fiber with depressive symptoms among Japanese workers. Participants were 1977 employees ages 19–69 y. Dietary intake was assessed via a validated, brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios of depressive symptoms adjusted for a range of dietary and non-dietary potential confounders. Dietary fiber intake from vegetables and fruits was significantly inversely associated with depressive symptoms. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the lowest through the highest tertile of vegetable and fruit fiber were 1.00 (reference), 0.80 (0.60–1.05), and 0.65 (0.45–0.95), respectively (P for trend = 0.03). Dietary intake of total, soluble, insoluble, and cereal fiber was not associated with depressive symptoms. Higher dietary fiber intake from vegetables and fruits may be associated with lower likelihood of having depressive symptoms. •We examined the association between fiber intake and depressive symptoms.•Vegetable and fruit fiber was inversely associated with depressive status.•The associations were significant after adjusting for various confounders.

Background Higher vegetable intake is being promoted as an initiative to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Carotenoids are yellow or red pigment components and are widely present in vegetables. Since ingested carotenoids accumulate in the skin, skin carotenoid levels are a quantitative indicator of vegetable intake. Recently, noninvasive optical sensors for assessing skin carotenoid levels were developed. We here examined the association between skin carotenoid scores measured using optical sensors and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Methods A total of 1618 individuals (604 men and 1014 women) aged ≥ 40 years (mean age 63.1 years) participated in the study. Skin carotenoid scores were determined using a noninvasive optical sensor based on multiple spatially resolved reflectance spectroscopy. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on the Joint Scientific Statement criteria developed by six international scientific societies. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used. Results The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 31.3% ( n  = 506). A remarkably strong association was found between higher skin carotenoid scores and lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome after adjusting for confounders. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for the presence of metabolic syndrome in individuals with the highest quartile of skin carotenoid scores was 0.39 (95% confidence interval, 0.28–0.55) compared to those with the lowest quartile. Conclusions Our findings suggest that higher skin carotenoid scores measured by non-invasive optimal sensors are significantly associated with a lower likelihood of having metabolic syndrome in the general Japanese population.

Aims/Introduction The investigation of the influence of dietary fiber intake on the incidence of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population. Materials and Methods A total of 1,892 individuals aged 40–79 years without diabetes at baseline were prospectively followed up for 14 years. The glucose tolerance status of participants was defined by a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test with the 1998 World Health Organization criteria. Dietary fiber intake was estimated by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and divided to quintile levels separately by sex. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied for computing the hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the incidence of diabetes. Results During the follow‐up period, 280 participants had developed diabetes. The age‐adjusted cumulative diabetes incidence decreased significantly with higher total dietary fiber intake (P‐for trend = 0.01). Participants in the highest quintile of total dietary fiber intake had a 0.53‐fold (95% confidence interval 0.31–0.90) lower risk of developing diabetes than those in the lowest quintile after for the adjustment with potential confounding factors. Total dietary fiber intake showed a moderate positive correlation to the intake of soybean and soybean products, green vegetables, and other vegetables. Similar associations with diabetes and food sources were observed for both of the soluble and insoluble dietary fiber intake. Conclusions The present study showed that higher dietary fiber intake was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population. The intake of high dietary fiber foods might be useful for diabetes prevention. The present study found that higher dietary fiber intake was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population. The intake of foods rich in dietary fiber might be beneficial for diabetes prevention.

Background Increase in functional disability in aging societies is an international medical and public health issue. Masticatory function may be a potential risk factor for functional disability, but the role of frailty in the association has not been clarified. Methods Forty thousand five hundred sixty-two community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and over who were insured by public health insurance as of April 2018 were followed up for a median of 3.0 years. Masticatory function was categorized as good, moderate, or poor based on a self-reported questionnaire. The development of functional disability was defined as a new certification of the need for long-term care. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results During the follow-up period, 1,397 individuals experienced functional disability. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, medical history, and lifestyle behaviors, the HR for incident functional disability was significantly higher in the moderate and poor groups compared to the good group (moderate, HR 1.21 [95% CI, 1.07–1.37]; poor, HR 1.64 [95% CI, 1.03–2.62]). However, after additional adjustment for frailty-related factors—namely, underweight, regular exercise, and gait speed—the association was attenuated in both the moderate group (HR 1.06 [95% CI, 0.94–1.21]) and the poor group (HR 1.51 [95% CI, 0.94–2.41]). Conclusions Masticatory dysfunction was significantly associated with incident functional disability in a community-dwelling older Japanese population. Our findings suggest that masticatory dysfunction may be a surrogate of frailty rather than a direct cause of functional disability.

Background Several prospective Western studies have reported an inverse association of vegetable and fruit intake with dementia risk. However, there is limited epidemiologic evidence in Asians. This study investigated the association of intakes of vegetables, fruits, and their nutrients on the risk of incident dementia and its subtypes in a Japanese community. Methods A total of 1071 participants (452 men and 619 women) aged ≥60 years without dementia at baseline were prospectively followed up for 24 years. Intakes of vegetables, fruits, and nutrients were evaluated using a 70-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline and were categorized into quartiles separately by gender. The outcome measure was the development of dementia and its subtypes—namely, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). The risk estimates of incident dementia were computed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results During the long-term follow-up period, 464 subjects developed dementia, of whom 286 had AD and 144 had VaD. Higher vegetable intake was associated gradually with lower risk of developing dementia and AD (both P -trend < 0.05), but not VaD, after adjusting for confounders. Subjects allocated the highest quartile of vegetable intake had 27 and 31% lower risk of dementia and AD, respectively, than those with the lowest quartile. The risk of dementia decreased significantly with higher intakes of vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and potassium (all P -trend < 0.05). Subjects with higher total dietary fiber intake tended to be at decreased risk for total dementia ( P -trend = 0.07). Meanwhile, there were no significant associations between fruit intake and the risk of dementia and its subtypes. Conclusion Higher intakes of vegetables and their constituent nutrients were associated with a lower risk of dementia in Japanese older adults. A diet rich in vegetables may be beneficial in reducing the dementia risk in Asians.

High intake of red meat has been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer in Western countries. There has been much interest in the role of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in colorectal cancer prevention, but epidemiological findings are limited and inconsistent. The objective of our study was to examine associations of meat, fish and fat intake with risk of colorectal cancer, paying particular attention to the subsite within the colorectum. Data were from the Fukuoka Colorectal Cancer Study, a population‐based case‐control study, covering 782 cases and 793 controls. Diet was assessed by interview, using newly developed personal‐computer software for registering semiquantitative food frequencies. The intake of beef/pork, processed meat, total fat, saturated fat or n‐6 PUFA showed no clear association with the overall or subsite‐specific risk of colorectal cancer. There was an almost significant inverse association between n‐3 PUFA and the risk of colorectal cancer; the covariate‐adjusted odds ratio for the highest (median 3.94 g/day) versus lowest (median 1.99 g/day) quintile of energy‐adjusted intake was 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.52–1.06, trend P = 0.050). The consumption of fish and fish products was similarly inversely related to the risk although the association was not statistically significant. These associations were more evident for distal colon cancer; adjusted odds ratio for the highest versus lowest quintile of n‐3 PUFA intake was 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.34–0.92, trend P = 0.02). Our findings do not support the hypothesis that consumption of red meat increases colorectal cancer risk but do suggest that high intake of fish may decrease the risk, particularly of distal colon cancer. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 590–597)

It remains unsettled whether dietary patterns play a role in insulin resistance. We assessed the association of major dietary patterns with C-peptide concentrations in a Japanese working population. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 456 municipal employees (270 men and 186 women) 21 to 67 y old who participated in a health survey at the time of their periodic checkup. The dietary patterns were derived by using the principal component analysis of the consumption of 52 food and beverage items, which was assessed by a validated brief dietary history questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the means of C-peptide concentrations across tertiles of each dietary pattern score with the adjustment of potential confounders, including age, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol drinking, and energy intake. We identified three dietary patterns: healthy, animal food, and Westernized breakfast patterns. The Westernized breakfast pattern was characterized by high intakes of bread, confectionaries, and milk and yogurt but low intakes of rice and alcohol and was inversely associated with C-peptide concentrations in women but not in men. The multivariable-adjusted means of C-peptide concentrations were 1.03 ng/mL (95% confidence interval 0.95–1.12), 0.95 ng/mL (95% confidence interval 0.88–1.03), and 0.89 ng/mL (95% confidence interval 0.82–0.97) for the lowest through the highest tertiles of the Westernized breakfast pattern score (P for trend = 0.015) in women. Other dietary patterns were not appreciably associated with C-peptide concentrations. In a subgroup, similar associations were observed between dietary patterns and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. The Westernized breakfast pattern may be associated with a lower insulin resistance in Japanese women.

Obesity is an important risk factor for lifestyle diseases. There has been much interest in the role of eating behavior in the development of obesity, but findings from population-based epidemiologic studies are limited and inconsistent. The objective of our cross-sectional study was to examine the association between eating behavior and prevalence of overweight. Subjects were 290 men of two municipal offices in northeastern Kyusyu, Japan. A positive association was found between overweight and some eating behaviors; multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for overweight were 4.33 (2.46-7.64), 2.29 (1.22-4.32), and 2.01 (1.06-3.80) for the behaviors of eating quickly, eating until full and eating fatty foods, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of overweight was further increased when these eating behaviors were combined; multivariate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of overweight for men with 1, 2 and =/> 3 versus no high-risk eating behaviors were 2.66 (1.27-5.56), 4.32 (1.87-9.97) and 7.32 (3.01-17.84), respectively (p<0.0001 for trend). Our findings suggest that eating quickly, eating until full and eating fatty foods are related to overweight in Japanese men.

Objectives Evidence is limited on the relation between metabolic syndrome and depressive symptoms. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and depressive symptoms in a Japanese working population. Methods The study subjects comprised 458 municipal employees (age range 21–67 years) from two municipal offices in Japan. A modified version of the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III was used to define metabolic syndrome. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES_D) scale. Results Depressive symptoms (CES_D ≥ 16) in both the male and female subjects were not significantly associated with metabolic syndrome nor with each component of metabolic syndrome. In men, high fasting glucose was associated with increased prevalence of severe depressive state (CES_D ≥ 23). Conclusions Metabolic syndrome may not be associated with depressive status among Japanese employees.