{"id":9739,"date":"2026-05-25T23:18:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T23:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=9739"},"modified":"2026-05-25T23:18:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T23:18:02","slug":"daily-glass-of-fresh-fruit-juice-could-help-beat-depression-study-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=9739","title":{"rendered":"Daily glass of fresh fruit juice could help beat depression, study shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just one glass of juice a day could help boost mood and ward off\u00a0depression<\/a>, new research has suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eating more fruits and vegetables has long been associated with better physical health – with a daily intake of just 200g shown to slash the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer<\/a> and even premature death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, researchers claim adding a daily glass of fresh fruit juice, or a smoothie, to your diet could even improve mental wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fewer than one in five adults and one in ten teenagers meet the UK’s five-a-day guidance for fruit and vegetable intake.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Poor mental health, meanwhile, is soaring. According to the latest figures, almost 500,000 young people have sought help for mental health problems from A&E units alone in England since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More than a fifth of 14 to 29-year-olds report high levels of depressive symptoms by the age of 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The study – led by researchers at Newcastle University – found that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day alongside a glass of fruit juice or a smoothie significantly improved symptoms of anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

Those who increased their fruit and vegetable intake without the juice or smoothie didn’t experience the same benefits, however.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Adding a daily glass of fresh fruit juice to your diet could help ward off depression, research shows\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Dr Courtney Neal, study’s lead author, said: ‘While most people know eating five-a-day can be good for our health, many people struggle to.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Our trial showed that when people with low fruit and vegetable intake were provided with targeted financial and educational support to address common barriers to eating five-a-day, they were able to make meaningful changes to their diet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘We found that simple, cost-effective solutions, like drinking a small glass of 100 per cent fruit juice or a smoothie daily, could help people reach their five-a-day, with potential benefits for mental well-being.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

The study – published in the British Journal of Nutrition – followed 42 adults who typically ate two or less portions of fruit and vegetables a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of these, 28 increased their daily fruit and vegetable intake to five-a-day, for a period of four-weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Half of this group also drank a glass of fruit juice or a smoothie every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The remaining 14 participants followed their diet as normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All groups received \u00a310 a week, with the healthier eating groups also given educational material to help support their dietary changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n