Depression in older adults is common, but contrary to what many people think, it is not a normal part of aging.

Illness, medications, loneliness and physical changes that limit mobility are some of the things that can cause depression.

But one of the biggest contributors is poor nutrition. Surprised?

We already know that the antioxidants found in certain fruits can protect the brain from age-related changes linked to Alzheimer’s and depression.

But what if you got a head start?

I mean, what if you started loading up on these vitamin-rich foods now, to avoid depression as a pitfall of old age?

That’s just what some new research suggests you do…

Loading up on fruit in midlife pays off later

Researchers at the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine set out to answer this question: could specific diet or food items consumed earlier in life have an impact on mental well-being in later years?

Their longitudinal study followed 13,738 people from around age 45 to age 74. Participants filled out a periodic food frequency questionnaire to report their fruit and vegetable consumption.

At the end of the study, those who had regularly consumed higher amounts of fruit earlier in life were less likely to experience depressive symptoms when they were older.

Vegetables eaten over the same time period, though, had no association with the likelihood of depressive symptoms.

As for the reasons behind the connection between eating fruit and lower depression risk, the researchers offered no hard and fast conclusions.

But it seemed evident to them that the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients found in many fruits had to have something to do with it…

Which fruits top the list for best depression fighters?

In the study, oranges, tangerines, bananas, papayas, watermelons, apple and honey melon were the fruits most consumed by those whose depression risk was lowered.

The researchers believed the association could be the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients in these fruits — including vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids — which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory processes in the body that may affect the development of depression.

Antioxidants are instrumental in helping the body break down and utilize tryptophan effectively — a process that contributes to inflammation if it goes awry.

When everything goes right, tryptophan, an amino acid available in common foods, like milk, chicken, turkey and oats, works as a precursor to produce serotonin — a “happiness” hormone. Many anti-depressant medications aim to raise serotonin levels.

Most fruits will help you get your fill of antioxidants. Blueberries top the list of antioxidant-rich fruits, followed closely by raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Apples, peaches, mangos, melons, cranberries, cherries, and red grapes are also great choices.

How much fruit to do the trick?

Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme at NUS Medicine and Principal Investigator of the study, said, “In our study population, participants who had at least 3 servings of fruits a day, compared to those with less than one serving a day, were able to reduce the likelihood of aging-related depression significantly by at least 21 percent. This can be achieved by eating one to two servings of fruits after every meal.” 

To further boost serotonin production, consider vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. In a paper published in FASEB Journal, researchers suggest that optimizing intakes of these two nutrients would optimize brain serotonin concentrations.

Sources:

Boosting fruit intake during midlife can ward off late-life blues: NUS study — Eureka Alert

Association between consumption of fruits and vegetables in midlife and depressive symptoms in late life: the Singapore Chinese Health Study — Science Direct / The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging

Antioxidants in Fruits — Web MD