A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition has found that drinking 100% orange juice may benefit more than just physical health, offering a boost to mental wellbeing too, according to the health website Verywell Health.
The research set out to test whether 100% fruit juice could be part of a healthy diet. It involved 42 adults in the United Kingdom, aged 18 to 65, whose usual diets contained minimal fruit and vegetables.
Researchers split the participants into three groups. A control group made no changes to their eating habits. A second, "fruit and vegetable" group was asked to raise its daily intake of fruit and vegetables to five portions. A third group, the fruit juice group, was also asked to reach five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, but was allowed to count one portion, roughly 150ml, of 100% fruit juice or 100% fruit smoothie toward that total.
After the four-week trial, the researchers found that the groups who increased their fruit and vegetable intake showed a small but noticeable improvement in depression scores. The juice and smoothie group, meanwhile, recorded a significant improvement in mental wellbeing.
The study does not prove that orange juice and other fruit juices directly reduce symptoms of depression, the article noted, but it suggests that 100% fruit juice can substantially help meet the body's daily nutrient needs and positively affect mental health when it is part of an otherwise healthy diet.
How orange juice may ease depression symptoms
Registered dietitian-nutritionist Amber Eisenhart said flavonoids, the plant compounds found in fruit juices and especially in orange juice, may help support brain function.
Flavonoids are metabolized in the gut, which can improve neurotransmission and signaling in the brain and potentially affect mental health, she said.
Orange juice also contains vitamin C, which, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients, can strengthen the immune system, as well as folate, which supports the production of neurotransmitters.
Dietitian Michelle Baggs said low vitamin C levels are also linked to fatigue, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating and low mood, as well as muscle or joint pain and general malaise without clearly defined symptoms.
Eating or drinking foods high in vitamin C, such as orange juice, can help the body maintain adequate levels and avoid the side effects of deficiency, including low mood, the article said. Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and present in orange juice, is needed by the body to produce serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that influence mood and thinking. A study published in Nutrients found that folate deficiency is linked to a higher risk of depression and more pronounced depressive symptoms.
How much orange juice is safe to drink
Orange juice sometimes carries a bad reputation over its sugar content. A 150ml glass of 100% orange juice contains about 14 grams of sugar. But Eisenhart said she does not see a daily glass of fresh juice as cause for concern, since oranges and orange juice naturally contain sugar. She said it is added sugar, listed on packaging labels, that can negatively affect health, and natural orange juice contains none.
Baggs agreed that a cup of 100% fruit juice can be part of a balanced diet, provided a person also continues eating whole fruits and vegetables.
She said a diet that includes whole fruits and vegetables throughout the day, along with enough protein, can support mental wellbeing.
