Disclaimer: This article talks about mental health conditions. It is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered or taken in lieu professional medical advice. Please always speak to your healthcare professional.
Fun fact of the day: there’s a two-way communications system between your head and stomach called the gut-brain axis. This allows neural messages to be relayed for all kinds of important purposes, like cognitive function and digestion. But the gut-brain axis also has one other surprising ability – it links the emotional centers of your brain with intestinal function.
In layman’s terms, this means that what you eat can affect your emotions and have a big impact on how you think and feel. A sweet treat might make you happy, an aphrodisiac might make you feel somethin’ else, and according to a new study, citrus can lower your risk of developing depression.
The study
The study, published in BMC Microbiome, analysed data from nearly 32,500 women. What they found was that when people had a daily serving of citrus, it lowered their risk of depression by about 20 per cent.
Researchers found that Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii) – now that’s a mouthful – a bacteria produced in the gut microbiome after eating citrus, was more abundant in people who weren’t depressed.
Citrus was the only food shown to have such a link, and no other fruits or vegetables were found to be connected to depression.
“This data underscores the role of diet in the prevention of depression, and offer a plausible explanation for how the intestinal microbiome modulates the influence of citrus on mental health,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion.
So, how many oranges do you need to eat per day to avoid depression?
According to this study, one medium orange per day could be enough to lower your risk of depression.
Remember, the study looked at the presence of citrus in the gut, not specific fruits. This means all citrus fruits were lumped together, so we have to assume that eating grapefruits, lemons, mandarins or limes would have a similar impact as oranges.
Why does citrus lower the risk of depression?
What’s so special about citrus, you ask? Researchers believe it’s citrus’ high concentration of something called flavonoids, which help support the growth of F. prausnitzii in the gut. Flavonoids can also regulate processes that release feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine throughout the body.
Medical and support resources for depression
If you’re worried you might have depression, or you would like to talk to someone, there are a number of resources at your disposal.
For people who need support with depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts:
- Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling, support groups and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.
- Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. Call 1300 659 467.
- Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. If you or a loved one need help, you can call 1300 22 4636, 24 hours/7 days a week or chat online.
- MindSpot is a free telephone and online service for people with anxiety, stress, low mood or depression. It provides online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. MindSpot is not an emergency or instant response service. Call 1800 61 44 34.
- Head to Health gives advice and will connect you to local mental health services. Call 1800 595 212.
- MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78, 24 hours/7 or chat online.
