Daily glass of fruit juice can stave off depression
Beyond helping you eat your five-a-day, a daily glass of juice can also help protect against depression.
Researchers found that adding a small glass of 100 percent juice or smoothie to a healthy diet improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression.
The study, conducted by the University of Newcastle and published in the British Journal of Nutrition, followed 42 adults who typically ate two or fewer servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
Participants were tracked for four weeks and 28 increased their intake to the recommended five a day. Half of them drank a glass of juice or smoothie a day, while 14 continued their normal eating habits.
Researchers measured anxiety and depression using familiar questionnaires and found that the biggest mood boosts were among those who combined five meals a day with juice or a smoothie.
Those who increased their fruit and vegetable consumption without juice did not see the same mental health benefits.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Courtney Neal said: “While most people know that eating five meals a day can be good for our health, many people struggle to do so.
“Our trial showed that people with low fruit and vegetable intake were able to make meaningful changes to their diet when provided with targeted financial and educational support to address common barriers to eating five times a day.
“We found that simple, cost-effective solutions, such as drinking a small glass of 100 percent fruit juice or smoothie every day, can help people achieve their five-day nutrition and provide potential benefits for their mental health.”
The findings come at a time when poor mental health continues to rise and less than one in five adults meet fruit and vegetable targets in the UK. Nearly 500,000 young people have sought mental health support through A+E departments in England since 2019.
Co-author Dr Oliver Shannon said: “Our study shows that drinking a glass of juice or smoothie every day could be part of the solution and help people meet their target of five fruits and vegetables a day.
“The finding that juice drinkers reduced depression scores is promising and worthy of further study.”
Experts emphasized that fruit juices should be part of a balanced diet and warned that excess free sugar could increase the risk of obesity, tooth decay and type 2 diabetes.
