Eating More Fruit Might Prevent Depression, According To Research
Fruit is an important part of maintaining a well-balanced diet. It offers a number of health benefits, such as increasing fiber intake, elevating antioxidant levels, and supporting cognitive function.
Recent research has suggested that fruit may also help boost your mental health and prevent the development of depression later in life.
A study from June 2024 found that middle-aged people who ate more fruit had lower rates of depression as they got older.
The research team analyzed data from almost 14,000 people who participated in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which tracked participants for over 20 years.
Those who ate at least three servings of fruit per day had a 21 percent lower risk of developing age-related depression compared to people who only consumed one daily serving of fruit. Meanwhile, eating vegetables showed no link to a reduced risk of age-related depression.
There were 14 fruits specifically associated with a lower chance of developing depression. Among them were orange, tangerine, banana, papaya, watermelon, apple, and honeydew melon, which are often eaten in Singapore.
“Our findings support population-based recommendations of having sufficient fruit intake early in life to reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms in late life,” wrote the researchers.
It is unclear exactly why eating more fruit in your 40s and 50s might improve mental health in older age, but there are a few theories. For one, fruits have high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Depression has an inflammatory aspect, so fruit can help the body be more resilient to stress and minimize depressive symptoms.
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“Oxidative stress and subsequent neuroinflammation are the two well-established pathways [of depression],” said Woon Puay Koh, the senior author of the study and a professor at the National University of Singapore’s Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program.
“Fruits generally contain high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids, and these nutrients have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory process in the body.”
Although the study demonstrated the benefits of eating more fruit in midlife, that doesn’t mean middle age is the only time you should be increasing your fruit consumption.
Other studies conducted elsewhere have shown that including fruits in diets correlated with better mental health in children and young people.
Therefore, it is recommended to bump up fruit in your diet at as young an age as possible. In general, adults should have three to four servings of fruit per day. Fruits can be eaten as a snack between meals in place of sweetened desserts and ultra-processed foods.
You can simply toss an apple or banana into your lunchbox, but if you want to get a little fancier with it, try adding fruit to salads, cereal, or oatmeal, topping yogurt with berries, and making fruit smoothies.
The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging.
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