It’s well established that fruit in your diet increases fiber intake, elevates antioxidant levels, and boosts dietary variety. Now, new research shows that your fruit bowl may also hold potential for preventing depression later in life.
A June 2024 study in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging found that people in mid-life who ate more fruit had lower rates of depression in older age.1 The longitudinal study out of Singapore tracked nearly 14,000 participants for over 20 years. Those who consumed the most fruit (at least three servings per day) reduced their likelihood of age-related depression by at least 21%.
Why Increasing Fruit Might Reduce Depression
The exact reasons why eating more fruit in your 40s or 50s might boost mental health in older age aren’t clear, Koh said, but multiple factors could be at play.
“Oxidative stress and subsequent neuroinflammation are the two well-established pathways [of depression],” she said. Fruits have something to offer for preventing these issues. “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.” Koh believes this is the most likely explanation for the study’s findings.
Vegetables, which were also evaluated in the study, had no observable impact on depression later in life—a finding that surprised the researchers. However, Koh has a theory about why this might be. Though veggies are also rich sources of antioxidant compounds, their typical preparation methods could reduce their anti-inflammatory impact. “Fruits are typically eaten raw as snacks throughout the day, whereas vegetables are usually cooked for meals,” she noted. “Cooking is known to be a process which may change the bioavailability and activity of nutrients in vegetables, and thereby limit the protective effects of these nutrients on depression.”
Is Midlife the Best Time to Eat More Fruit?
Despite the study’s intriguing findings about fruit consumption in midlife, Koh said it doesn’t mean middle age is the best (or only) time to eat more fruit.
“We asked about [subjects’] intake of 14 fruits and 25 vegetables most commonly consumed at that time in Singapore, but we did not ask about the age they started their habit,” she noted. “Other studies done elsewhere have also discovered the benefit of including fruits in diets that were associated with better mental health in children and young people.” For this reason, she recommends bumping up fruit in your diet at as young an age as possible.
As for how many fruits to eat per day? “For most adults, three to four servings of fruit per day (1.5 to 2 cups) is usually sufficient,” Pace said. Going past this number is generally OK, too, but may bring some undesirable side effects. “Overconsumption of certain fruits may cause digestive issues like stomach upset.”
How to Add More Fruit to Your Diet
Fortunately, fruit is widely available and generally easy to transport. But besides tossing an apple or banana in your lunchbox, Pace recommends a few simple tactics to increase consumption. Try any of the following:
Adding frozen or fresh fruit to smoothies
Topping yogurt with berries
Making colorful salads with fruit
Pairing fruit with dip as a snack
Drizzling your favorite fruit with chocolate sauce as a dessert
Adding fruit to oatmeal or cereal
Each time you add another fruit, you can rest assured you’re doing right by your health in general—and perhaps specifically for mental health in the future.
