Eating an orange a day could lower depression risk by 20%, study finds
There's the old saying of "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." But maybe it should be an orange.
A new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital says eating an orange a day may lower a person's risk of depression by 20%.
The study found that citrus stimulates the growth of a bacteria found in the gut that influences the production of two brain chemicals known to elevate mood, serotonin and dopamine.
Citrus fruits may lower depression risk
Researchers looked at data from more than 100,000 women who provided detailed information about their diet and health. The study only found the link to a lower depression risk with citrus, not other fruits such as apples and bananas.
More research in this area is underway, but this adds to the mounting evidence that what we eat and its effects on the gut microbiome can have a profound effect on our overall well-being. Recently, a study out of Mass General Brigham found that eating yogurt regularly might help protect against an aggressive form of colorectal cancer.
Oranges as treatment for depression?
Study leader Dr. Raaj Mehta said that one day, eating oranges could be part of a treatment plan for managing depression that also involves traditional antidepressants.
"I would love to see a clinical trial done to definitively show that eating citrus can lower the risk of depression, or maybe even alleviate the condition in some cases," Dr. Mehta told The Harvard Gazette. "There's such a huge unmet need for depression treatments, and eating citrus doesn't really have any major side effects, so it would be great to see how much this simple treatment can help."
