Oranges are one of our favorite fruits. They are a wonderful source of vitamin C and folate and contain other vitamins and minerals. A medium orange also contains four grams of fiber and, as oranges are a low GI food, they are unlikely to spike blood sugar. The folate in oranges can aid insulin resistance.
New research suggests that eating a daily orange could lower the risk of depression by 20 percent. Researchers from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital found that citrus fruit appeared to increase both serotonin and dopamine. The two brain chemicals influence mood.
Using stool samples, they found that citrus stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the microbiome. The bacteria reduce inflammation and aid the brain.
Research has shown that diet and the microbiome play a prominent role in mental health. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help your health and well-being. The researchers were aiming to pinpoint what foods combat depression.
“We found that eating one medium orange a day may lower the risk of developing depression by about 20 percent. And the effect seems to be specific to citrus,” said study leader Dr. Raaj Mehta.
Unfortunately, it was an observational study. The researchers examined data from more than 100,000 women’s diet and health. They didn’t ask anyone to change their diet. That means they can see a link, but they cannot say definitively that citrus aids mental health because they didn’t do a clinical trial to test it. They can say that women who ate citrus fruit daily were 20 percent less likely to have depression than women who didn’t eat it. Other fruits didn’t appear to aid mental health.
“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,” said Dr. Mehta. “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.”
We don’t recommend replacing medication with food. However, adding an orange to your day may put a hop in your step! People who take certain medications would avoid citrus fruits. If that is a concern for you, you may wish to speak to your doctor. Oranges are a wonderful fruit rich in fiber and vitamins. They are an excellent part of any diet. This may be an added benefit!
