Teens Who Eat More Fruit Face Lower Depression Risk, Study Finds

A new study from Australia followed thousands of teenagers over three years to see how their eating habits affected their mental health. The researchers wanted to know if what teens eat regularly could predict whether they might develop depression or anxiety later on.

The study included more than 6,500 adolescents with an average starting age of about 12.6 years. Participants filled out questionnaires at the beginning, then again after one, two, and three years. The team looked at how often these teens ate fruit, vegetables, and sugary drinks, and checked if they showed signs of depression or anxiety during the follow-up period.

Teens who ate more fruit had a lower chance of developing depression and anxiety over time. For every extra serving of fruit, the risk dropped by about 13% for depression and 7% for anxiety. On the flip side, drinking more sugary beverages was linked to a higher risk of both conditions. Boys seemed more affected by sugary drink intake than girls, especially when it came to anxiety.

The researchers made sure to only include teens who did not already show signs of depression or anxiety at the start. This helped them focus on new cases and better understand whether diet could predict mental health issues. They used advanced statistical methods to account for other factors that might influence the results.

These findings suggest that improving diet quality early in life could play a role in preventing common mental health problems during adolescence. The study adds to growing evidence linking nutrition and mental wellbeing in young people.