Oranges Are Good For Our Second Brain, They Prevent Depression

There is a reason our gut is called our second brain. About 90% of serotonin and more than half of dopamine—two essential neurotransmitters linked to mood and well-being — are produced in our intestines. Now, new research has suggested that adding citrus fruits to your diet may help boost your mood and potentially reduce the risk of depression. And wait, there's more as most of the citurs fruits are packed with fibres, they might ease the digestion process as well.

A recent study led by Dr Raaj Mehta, physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School, and his team, examined the dietary habits of over 30,000 women. They discovered that those who regularly consumed citrus fruits like oranges were significantly less likely to develop depression. Their findings, published in the journal Microbiome, point to a strong link between citrus consumption, gut health, and mental well-being. "We found that eating one medium orange a day may lower the risk of developing depression by about 20%," Dr Mehta told the Harvard Gazette. He also added that this effect seems to be specific to citrus. When we look at people's total fruit or vegetable consumption or other individual fruits such as apples or bananas, we don’t see any relationship between intake and risk of depression.

What Sets Citrus Apart?

The answer may lie in the gut microbiome. The team used stool samples from participants to study bacterial composition and found that higher citrus consumption was associated with increased levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which is a beneficial gut bacterium known for its anti-inflammatory properties. This bacterium may also support the movement of serotonin and dopamine from the gut to the brain. A previous study published in 2022 also noted a clear association between low citrus intake and a greater risk of depression in individuals with chronic heart failure.

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However, Dr Mehta cautioned that while the findings are promising, they do not suggest that citrus can replace conventional treatments for depression. "It’s hard to compare the effectiveness of citrus to traditional antidepressants… because we’re talking about preventing depression, and those drugs are usually used to treat depression once a person is already experiencing it," he explained. The researchers also acknowledged certain limitations in their study — most participants were white, middle-aged women, and although they adjusted for several variables, the results show correlation, not causation.

Still, eating a citrus fruit—whether it’s an orange, lemon, or grapefruit — is a simple and healthy habit with potential mental health benefits. I hope our results inspire other researchers to look into the link between diet and mental health,” Mehta said. “People intuitively know that food affects mood — we even use the term ‘comfort foods’ for a reason. With such a huge unmet need for depression treatments,” he added, “it would be great to see how much this simple, low-risk step could help."

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