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09.07.2024

These fruits help prevent depression

A high intake of fruit of - let's say: 380 grams per day - may reduce the risk of depression. But according to an epidemiological study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, not all types of fruit protect equally well.

Study
Epidemiologists from the National University of Singapore analyzed data from 13,738 adults who participated in the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS). When the SCHS began in 1993-1998, study participants were aged 45-74. They completed questionnaires, which gave the researchers an idea of ​​their diet.

The researchers followed the average study participant for almost twenty years.

At the end of the study, the researchers determined which study participants were depressed based on their scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale. There were 1380.

Results
The group with the highest intake of fruit and vegetables - the total intake was above half a kilo per day - had 30 percent less risk of depression than the group with the lowest intake - with a total intake of approximately 150 grams of fruit and vegetables per day. The researchers had brushed away the influence of other lifestyle factors to the best of their ability.

The table below tells you this. Click on it for a larger version.

When the researchers looked at fruits and vegetables separately, they only found a statistically significant link between fruit and depression and not between vegetables and depression.

The researchers then looked to see whether they could find a link between specific types of fruit and depression. They found that a relatively high intake of oranges, tangerines, bananas, papaya and watermelon appeared to lower the risk of depression, while other fruits did not appear to have an impact on depression.

Mechanism
The researchers speculate that oranges, tangerines, papaya and watermelon are good dietary sources of vitamin C. Trials have shown the antidepressant effect of vitamin C.

Bananas are not a good source of vitamin C, the researchers write. A banana contains less than 10 milligrams of this vitamin. Compared to other types of fruit, bananas are a good source of tryptophan. A banana contains 12-15 milligrams of tryptophan. The body makes serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improves mood, from tryptophan.

We wonder whether this theory is correct. The amount of tryptophan that bananas add to a diet is modest. A portion of tofu, meat or chicken easily contains 250-300 milligams of tryptophan.

Source:
J Nutr Health Aging. 2024 Jun;28(6):100275.

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