Eating fruit during midlife may ward off late-life depression

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, conducted by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore found that boosting fruit intake during middle age could help to reduce depression in later life. Depression that occurs in adults over 65 with no previous history of depression is known as late-life depression.

The study included 13,738 participants from the large population-based Singapore Chinese Health Study that tracks participants through their mid-life to late-life spanning around 20 years.

The researchers studied a total of 14 different fruits commonly eaten in Singapore and found that the consumption of most fruits, including oranges, bananas, watermelons, papayas, honey melons and apples was associated with a reduction in the likelihood of depression. The association is thought to be linked to the high levels of antioxidants and anti inflammatory micronutrients in fruit, vitamin C, flavonoids and carotenoids which help to reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory processes in the body that have been linked to the development of depression.