Research has made it clear that your gut and brain like to talk to each other, and even influence the health of the other. Yes, what you eat (and the bacteria that creates in your gut) can have a big impact on how you think and feel. And new research even suggests that that connection could extend to your mental health as well.
A study published in the journal BMC Microbiome found a link between eating citrus and depression risk, suggesting that you may be able to lower your risk of developing depression by doing something as simple as adding oranges into your daily diet.
It’s important to stress that there are a lot of factors that go into depression, and it wouldn’t be fair to suggest that just eating an orange will dramatically alter your mental health status. But, if you want to learn more about things you can do to lower your risk of depression, these findings are definitely worth paying attention to.
Here’s what the researchers found, plus what a dietitian and psychologist want you to keep in mind when interpreting the study’s results.
Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD, is co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy; Thea Gallagher, PsyD, is a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and cohost of the Mind in View podcast; Gail Saltz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine
What did the study find?
The study analyzed data from nearly 32,500 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study 2, a longitudinal study that tracked women to learn more about chronic disease risk factors. Researchers also looked at data from more than 300 men. They then used that information, along with fecal (i.e. poop) samples to learn more about the participants’ gut microbiomes.
The researchers found that when people had a daily serving of citrus, it lowered their risk of developing depression by about 20 percent. This was unique to citrus—meaning, data didn’t establish the same link with other fruits or vegetables.
When researchers drilled down even more, they found that the bacteria Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii), which is found in the gut microbiome of people who eat citrus fruits, was more abundant in people who weren’t depressed.
“These data underscore 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.
How does gut bacteria influence your mental health?
The bacteria in your gut, a.k.a. your gut microbiome, play a “crucial role” in your mental health by influencing the production of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that help cells “talk” to each other), bodily inflammation, and the integrity of your gut barrier, says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.
“Certain gut bacteria, like F. prausnitzii, contribute to the gut-brain axis, a bi-directional communication system between the gut and the brain,” Keatley says. This particular bacteria is especially important because it can help to reduce inflammation, he explains.
“Since chronic inflammation has been linked to depression, increasing F. prausnitzii in the gut [by way of consuming citrus] may help regulate mood by reducing inflammatory markers,” Keatley says.
Still, while the gut-brain relationship is firmly established, the way this pathway actually functions on a cellular level is still being explored. “We don’t fully understand the pathways between gut health and depression,” says Thea Gallagher, PsyD, a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and cohost of the Mind in View podcast. “But we do know there’s something there.”
How many oranges do you have to eat to see benefits?
This particular study found that eating one medium orange a day could help lower your risk of depression. But the researchers also lumped all citrus together. So, if you’re a grapefruit fan, you can feel good knowing that you’re also doing your mental health a solid by having a daily serving.
Why is citrus so special?
There are a few things about citrus that seem to give it extra oomph when it comes to improving mental health.
“The real game-changer in citrus is its high concentration of flavonoids, such as naringenin and formononetin,” Keatley says.
These flavonoids help support the growth of the essential bacteria F. prausnitzii, and also may regulate processes in the gut that help increase the availability of our “feel-good” neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, in the body, he says.
But keep in mind that the study’s findings don’t actually prove that consuming citrus influences your mental health—they just establish a link.
The study also only looks at one aspect of citrus’ impact on the gut, and specifically, the bacterial link, points out Gail Saltz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine.
“Citrus may impact the gut biome, but it also has other features, such as high vitamin C, which could figure into this story,” she says.
Are there other foods that can lower depression risk?
Possibly. Research has found a link between eating a lot of ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of depression, which suggests that eating whole, unprocessed foods may be better for your mental and physical health, Gallagher says.
Gallagher adds that focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and foods that don’t have a lot of ingredients is the “safe route” when it comes to eating for mental health. But she also suggests focusing on an 80/20 style of eating, where you try to eat healthy 80 percent of the time and are more lenient with what you eat for the other 20 percent of the time.
Keatley also suggests consuming fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir, which have probiotics that can help regulate neurotransmitter levels in the brain, along with nut and seeds, which provide omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and enhance gut-brain communication.
Legumes, fatty fish, and leafy green vegetables may also help, per Keatley. “Together, these foods create a diet that supports gut health, reduces systemic inflammation, and enhances neurotransmitter balance, all of which contribute to lowering the risk of depression,” he says.
How does this effect compare to antidepressant medications?
Well, this study specifically looked at preventing depression. Antidepressants are usually used to treat depression, Gallagher points out. So, it’s not clear, based on these findings, how eating oranges when you already have depression may impact your symptoms or treatment.
But this is important: “Don’t go off your medications and start eating oranges,” Gallagher says. Saltz agrees. “I would not advise anyone based on this study to in any way consider oranges a treatment for clinical major depression,” she says.
Still, Gallagher calls the findings “exciting” for mental health. “This is something that you could easily implement in your diet and probably should regardless,” she says. “It’s accessible, and that’s always a good thing.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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