Fruit is considered an important part of a healthy diet, but new research suggests it can also help improve your mental health in the future.
The study, published in Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, analyzed population data from nearly 14,000 people who participated in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which followed participants from middle age — which is generally defined as ages 40 to 65 — until about 20 years later. Researchers found that people who ate higher levels of fruit in middle age had a lower risk of developing symptoms of depression as they aged.
Specifically, people who consumed at least three servings of fruit per day had a 21% lower risk of developing age-related depression compared to those who consumed one daily serving of fruit. Eating vegetables, however, has shown no link to reducing the risk of developing age-related depression.
“Our findings support population recommendations for sufficient fruit intake early in life to reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms later in life,” researchers concluded in the study.
Depression is a common problem in the elderly, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Although most seniors are not depressed, they are at greater risk due to their greater chances of having a chronic health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Is eating more fruit the answer? Experts analyze everything.
Why eating fruit can reduce the risk of developing depression?
Depression is a complicated condition, and it’s hard to say that eating just fruit will lower your risk of developing depression. “There seem to be a lot of unanswered questions for this study,” Hillary Ammon, clinical psychologist at the Center for Women’s Anxiety and Emotional Wellbeing, told Yahoo Life. “Specifically, were there other factors that could have contributed to the decrease in depression levels later in life?”
Ammon emphasizes that correlation does not equal causation. “That is, just because this group of individuals ate fruit does not mean that eating fruit decreased the likelihood of depression later in life,” she says. Still, there appears to be an association.
The reason is a little more complicated to discover, but there are some theories. “There could be a few things going on,” said nutritionist Jessica Cording, author of The Little Book of Game Changers: 50 Healthy Habits to Manage Stress and Anxiety, told Yahoo Life. One is that fruits have high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamin C. “We have research that shows that several antioxidants play a role in helping our bodies be more resistant to stress,” he says. she.
Depression also has an inflammatory aspect, and curbing inflammation in the body can help minimize depressive symptoms, says Cording.
The relationship can also be indirect, says Cording. She points out that highly processed foods are associated with a higher risk of depression. A research letter published in Open JAMA Network, for example, analyzed data on the eating habits and mental health of more than 31 thousand women. The researchers found that participants who ate the most ultra-processed foods (nine servings per day) were 50% more likely to develop depression than participants who ate less or no more than four servings per day.
“If someone is in the habit of eating fruits and other nutrient-dense foods, they can exclude highly processed foods that are associated with depressive symptoms, supporting good mental health in the process,” says Cording.
Thea Gallagher, clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health and co-host of Mind in sight podcast, tells Yahoo Life that it’s “interesting” to try to find a link between certain foods and mental health benefits. “It’s exciting that we’re looking at things like diet and mental health, looking at all the factors that lead to holistic health,” she says.
“It’s another incentive to eat well,” says Gallagher. “There’s a focus on shape and weight with healthy eating, but it’s more than that – it’s about overall health and mental wellbeing.”
But there are many questions raised by this latest study that have not been answered. “We need more research to better understand the connection,” says Cording.
What fruits can help?
Researchers studied 14 fruits and found that these had the strongest link to a reduced risk of developing depression:
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Oranges
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Tangerines
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Bananas
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Papaya
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Watermelon
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Apples
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Melon
It is worth highlighting: American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming four servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables per day.
How to get more fruit in your life
Again, depression is a complicated condition, and Gallagher says it’s important to point out that eating fruit alone is unlikely to change your mental health status if you’re struggling with depression. “We don’t want to be simplistic by saying that if you eat fruits and vegetables you won’t be depressed anymore, or if you haven’t eaten them that’s why you’re depressed,” says Gallagher.
But Gallagher points out that there’s no harm in trying to eat more fruit. If you want to add more products to your life, there are a few things you can do. For at least two meals a day, fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, says Cording. “I often recommend that fruits take up less space on the plate,” she says, noting that she encourages people to “treat them like carbohydrates for the meal.”
“If adding a little fruit makes the meal tasty and enjoyable and makes someone more likely to eat those vegetables, there’s room for fruit,” she says. When you eat fruit, Cording suggests combining it with protein and/or fat as well. “This keeps your blood sugar stable, which is also good for your physical, mental and emotional health,” she says. Consider eating a banana with nut butter or an apple with a small slice of cheese or a handful of nuts.
Ultimately, Cording says it’s best to “incorporate some type of nutrient-dense product into each of your meals.”
If fruit isn’t your thing, Ammon says you shouldn’t panic. “Just because you don’t eat fruit doesn’t mean you’ll be depressed later in life,” she says. “Yes, a balanced diet and exercise can help improve mood and improve physical and mental health, but many other factors play a role in life satisfaction – connecting with your community and family, completing meaningful work, and engaging in pleasant hobbies, to name a few.”
