Senior Health A Citrus and Depression Link 3/18/2025 | By Shalini Kathuria Narang An orange a day may keep the blues away, implies a study that shows a citrus and depression link. Shalini Kathuria Narang explains. A recent study has found that eating citrus, such as one medium orange a day, may lower a person’s depression risk by 20%. The effect seems to be specific to citrus. Among the many commercially available types of fruits, citrus fruits contain various antioxidants, such as vitamin C, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin, and are thus a good candidate for the prevention of depression. The study concludes that reduction in depression may be because citrus stimulates the growth of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii), a type of bacteria found in the human gut, to influence production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine – mood elevators. These neurotransmitters not only regulate how food passes through the digestive tract, but they can also travel to the brain for mood lift. The study authors have reported that citrus intake and its components are prospectively associated with a lower risk of depression. Eating citrus could perhaps be part of a strategy for managing depression that also involves more traditional pharmaceuticals. While the current evidence and research has shown a strong link between the gut and the brain, the role of citrus as an antidepressant has not yet been clinically researched to become a certainty. F. prausnitzii bacteria has also been linked to lowering the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. But a link between F. prausnitzii and mental health is not popularly known. Depression is a widespread and debilitating condition, affecting more than 280 million individuals worldwide. The precise causes of depression are unknown, and treatment is often ineffective. Seventy percent of patients with depression fail to respond to initial treatment with antidepressant medications and/or develop intolerable side effects to the available drugs. Therefore, identifying modifiable causes of depression and developing novel therapeutics are urgently needed. Related: The Benefits of Counseling for Seniors While clinical trials to confirm the findings of the study are needed to definitively show that eating citrus can lower the risk of depression, or maybe even alleviate the condition in some cases, the study offers a beacon for hope, especially as there’s such a mammoth unmet need for depression treatments. Since eating citrus doesn’t have any major side effects, it would be great if this simple treatment can help. Diet may be a promising avenue for depression prevention and management. Mediterranean-style diets have been associated with a nearly 35% reduced risk of depression, and the Mediterranean diet has shown reductions in mood symptoms. Although the specific food groups that underlie these findings remain unclear, citrus, including oranges and grapefruits, have recently been linked with lower depression risk. Another study showed that a lowered daily intake of citrus fruits was an independent predictor of the comorbidity of moderate-to-severe depression in patients with chronic heart failure. The study findings support the hypothesis that a daily consumption of citrus fruits has a beneficial effect on the prevention and treatment of depression in heart failure patients. While the research authors hope that their initial results inspire further research to look into the link between diet and mental health, the initial findings on the citrus and depression link and the fruits’ benefits are very encouraging and promising. Read More Shalini Kathuria Narang Shalini Kathuria Narang is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist. She writes for PBS Next Avenue and others. Originally from New Delhi, she now lives in California.