1. ¹Smart Foods Centre, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia
2. ²Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia
3. ³Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia

Correspondence: AJ Owen, Smart Foods Centre, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong NSW 2522, Australia. E-mail: alice_owen@uow.edu.au

Received 16 June 2004; Revised 16 August 2004; Accepted 15 September 2004; Published online 27 October 2004.

Abstract

Objective: Levels of vitamin E have been reported to be lower in patients suffering major depression, but whether this is due to inadequate dietary intake or the pathophysiology of depression is not known, and was the subject of the present study.

Setting: Wollongong, Australia.

Methods: Plasma vitamin E (-tocopherol) was measured in 49 adults with major depression, age (means.d.): 4712 y. In a subset (n=19) usual dietary intake of vitamin E was determined by diet history.

Results: Subjects had significantly lower plasma -tocopherol (4.710.13 mol/mmol cholesterol) than has previously been reported for healthy Australians, and plasma -tocopherol was inversely related to depression score (by Beck Depression Inventory) (r=-0.367, P<0.009). Diet analysis indicated that 89% of subjects met or exceeded the recommended intake for vitamin E, and dietary intake was not related to plasma -tocopherol level in this subset.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that plasma levels of -tocopherol are lower in depression, but this is not likely to be the result of inability to meet recommended dietary intake.

Sponsorship: This study was supported in part by the Clover Corporation and the Australian Research Council.