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Eating certain fruits reduces risk of depression in later life, study suggests Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

Eating certain fruits reduces risk of depression in later life, study suggests

By Ellissa Bain

A new study has found that eating fruit could decrease your risk of developing depression later in your life.

However, it’s not just any fruit – five particular varieties appear to be more beneficial for your mental health.

Young woman shopping vegetables in supermarket
Cropped shot of female hand carrying shopping basket while choosing vegetables at supermarket. Grocery shopping concept. Credit: Oscar Wong (Getty Images)

Eating fruit could reduce depression risk

The research in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging assessed the consumption of 14 different fruits and vegetables among 13,738 Chinese participants living in Singapore to evaluate the food’s impact on depression.

After 19.6 years, depressive symptoms were identified among 3,180 of the participants and eating five fruits was associated with a reduced risk including:

  • Orange
  • Tangerine
  • Banana
  • Papaya
  • Watermelon

These fruits all have a similar glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels after consumption. Another great fruit to add into your diet is berries, which have many essential health benefits.

The findings support the theory that a sufficient fruit intake early in life will “reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms in late life”. Interestingly, eating vegetables was not associated with lower depressive symptoms.

Each participant was initially assessed by a questionnaire when they were aged 45-75 (1993-1998), followed by interviews almost 20 years later when they were 6196 (20142016). Depression symptoms were evaluated using the�Geriatric Depression Scale.

Portrait of a woman sitting by the window
Portrait of a dreadlock braid woman sitting by the open window at the white wall. Concept of depression, loneliness, problems. Credit: Fiordaliso (Getty Images)

Good physical health will improve mental health

There has been lots of research into fruit and mental health in recent years and this isn’t the first study to make the link with lower depression risk.

More research in the Frontiers Journal used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)�and concluded that fruit intake showed a “significant reduction in the risk of depression”.

Another study of 4,241 women in Australia in the National Library of Medicine has similar findings. A high fruit intake was associated with 25% lower odds of depressive symptoms.

MedlinePlus says taking care of your physical health is one of the best ways to improve your mental health, including exercising, getting enough sleep and healthy eating.

Good nutrition will increase your mood and decrease�anxiety and stress, which involves eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. A lack of certain nutrients such as vitamin B12 can contribute to some mental illnesses.

It’s important to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products and get enough fiber. Drink lots of water and limit salt, sugar alcohol and saturated fats too.