Fruits, Juices, and Mental Health: The Simple Dietary Change That Has Been Linked To Fewer Symptoms Of Depression

What if something as simple as eating more fruit could improve your mood? A new study revealed that a small change in diet was associated with fewer symptoms of depression in just a few weeks.

We've all heard that fruits and vegetables are good for physical health. They help protect the heart, reduce the risk of various diseases, and are associated with a longer life. But new research suggests that their benefits may extend beyond the body: increasing consumption of these foods can also bring advantages to mental health.

This study investigated whether following the recommendation of consuming five daily servings of fruits and vegetables could influence mood, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Researchers recruited 42 healthy adults who shared a common dietary habit: they consumed few fruits and vegetables, at most two servings per day. Participants were randomly divided into three groups. The first continued with their usual diet. The second received guidance and support to reach the goal of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The third received the same guidance but could replace one of the servings with a glass of fruit juice or smoothie.

To prevent the cost of food from influencing the results, all participants received weekly financial assistance to purchase fruits and vegetables during the four weeks of the study.

Throughout this period, scientists carefully monitored the participants' diets. In addition to recording how many servings of fruits and vegetables were being consumed daily, they collected blood samples to measure vitamins and natural compounds found in these foods. They also assessed mood, symptoms of depression, anxiety, digestive health, and some metabolic markers related to the body's functioning.

The results showed that both strategies worked very well to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. People who received nutritional guidance consumed significantly more of these foods than those who remained in the control group.

Interestingly, allowing the inclusion of a daily glass of juice or smoothie facilitated adherence to the recommendations without compromising the overall results. This is important because many people report difficulties consuming whole fruits daily due to cost, lack of time, or practicality.

The most interesting finding emerged when researchers analyzed the participants' mental health. Those who followed the recommendation of five daily servings and included one serving of juice or smoothie showed fewer symptoms of depression at the end of the four weeks compared to the group that did not change their diet.

Although no significant differences were observed in anxiety, the results suggest that a diet richer in fruits and vegetables may have a positive effect on mood in a relatively short period.

Scientists believe this benefit may be related to the large amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidant compounds present in fruits and vegetables. Many of these nutrients participate in the production of neurotransmitters, help reduce inflammation, and protect brain cells from damage.

Although larger and longer studies are needed to confirm these effects, the research reinforces a simple message: small changes in diet can have important impacts not only on physical health but also on emotional well-being.

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Including fruit juice and smoothies within 5-a-day fruit and vegetable intake recommendations: A randomised controlled trial investigating impact on levels of intake, mood, and markers of health

Courtney Neal, Georg Lietz, Kirsten Brandt, Anthony W Watson, and Oliver M Shannon

British Journal of Nutrition, 22 May 2026:1-15.

DOI: 10.1017/S0007114526107569

Abstract: 

Consuming fruit juice/smoothies could help overcome barriers to fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake. However, their contribution towards F&V intake within a healthy diet is contentious. We investigated how F&V intake is affected by UK 5-a-day advice, with and without one portion/d of fruit juice/smoothies and explored how these interventions impacted markers of health. Healthy individuals (n 42) with low F&V intake (≤ 2 servings/d) completed a 4-week, parallel-group randomised controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06628401). Participants were randomised to (1) control, (2) whole F&V (FV) or (3) whole F&V plus fruit juice/smoothies (FV + FJ). All groups received weekly financial support (to remove financial barriers to F&V purchase in the intervention groups). FV and FV + FJ also received a co-designed educational booklet. We investigated the intervention effects on self-reported F&V intake (primary outcome), biomarkers of intake and metabolism, mood, gut symptoms and acceptability. Post-intervention F&V intake differed between groups (P < 0·001; ηp2 = 0·62). It was significantly higher in FV ((estimated marginal means (SE)); 8·9 (0·64) portions/d, P < 0·001) and FV + FJ (6·6 (0·64), P < 0·001) v. control (2·45 (0·64)), but there was no difference between FV and FV + FJ (P = 0·051). Both interventions showed good acceptability. Depression symptoms differed between groups (P = 0·01; ηp2 = 0·21); they were significantly lower in FV + FJ than control. There were no differences in anxiety or gut symptoms, nor in intake or metabolic biomarkers. A financial and educational intervention based on UK 5-a-day recommendations, with or without fruit juice/smoothies, significantly increased short-term F&V intake and benefited mood without adversely impacting health markers in the short-term. Funder: Fruit Juice Science Centre.