A study led by Raaj Mehta from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital suggests that consuming citrus could lower depression risk by 20%. The research indicates that citrus may stimulate the growth of the gut bacterium 'Faecalibacterium prausnitzii' (F. prausnitzii), which is linked to the production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters associated with mood regulation. The study utilized data from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2), involving over 100,000 women, to explore this association.
Mehta notes, "The effect seems to be specific to citrus. When we look at people's total fruit or vegetable consumption, or at other individual fruits such as apples or bananas, we don't see any relationship between intake and risk of depression." The NHS2 study also involved stool sample analysis, revealing higher levels of F. prausnitzii in participants with high citrus consumption and lower depression rates. This bacterium may influence neurotransmitter levels through the S-adenosyl-L-methionine cycle I pathway.
To verify these findings, a similar analysis was conducted in the Men's Lifestyle Validation Study, which also showed an inverse correlation between F. prausnitzii levels and depression risk. Mehta expressed interest in future clinical trials to further explore citrus consumption's impact on depression, noting the potential for dietary interventions in mental health management.
Source: The Harvard Gazette