Daily Fruit Juice May Help Lift Your Mood, Study Finds. Here’s What Researchers Actually Found

Could your morning glass of orange juice do more than simply help you hit your fruit-and-vegetable target? A small new trial from Newcastle University suggests it might also have an effect on mood.

Researchers found that people who added a daily glass of 100% fruit juice or a smoothie while working towards the UK’s “5-a-day” target recorded significantly lower depression scores after four weeks than a control group. The finding is intriguing. But it comes with a sizeable asterisk: only 42 people took part, the study lasted just four weeks, and the researchers themselves say the mental-health finding needs further investigation.

What exactly did the study find?

The researchers divided 42 adults who were eating two or fewer portions of fruit and vegetables a day into three groups. One continued with their usual diet. Another was encouraged to reach five portions a day using whole fruits and vegetables. The third was asked to increase whole fruit and vegetable intake while also having one portion of fruit juice or a smoothie each day. After four weeks, the fruit-and-vegetable intake increased in both intervention groups. But there was another difference. The group consuming fruit juice or smoothies recorded **depression scores 2.52 points lower on a 27-point scale** than the control group. The adjusted mean score was 2.93 for the juice/smoothie group versus 5.45 for the control group.

Does that mean fruit juice can treat depression?

No. And this is where the headline needs some caution. The researchers found an association between the dietary intervention and lower depression symptoms. They did not establish that fruit juice itself treats depression. The trial was small and lasted only four weeks. It also involved healthy adults who initially had low fruit and vegetable intake, rather than people recruited specifically because they had clinical depression. The researchers say the finding is promising and deserves further study, particularly among people experiencing poor mental wellbeing.

Was juice the only thing that changed?

No. That is another important detail. Both intervention groups were encouraged to increase their overall fruit and vegetable consumption. They also received financial support to reduce the cost barrier to buying produce, while the two intervention groups received educational material on reaching the 5-a-day target. So, this was not a simple experiment of “juice versus no juice”. It was a broader dietary intervention, with one group additionally incorporating fruit juice or smoothies. And both intervention groups substantially increased their fruit and vegetable intake.

What happened to fibre intake?

It went up. Dietary records suggested that participants in both intervention groups increased their fibre intake by around 8–10 grams a day. That is important because it suggests the participants drinking juice were not simply replacing whole fruits and vegetables with liquid calories. They were still adding fibre-rich foods to their diets.

Did the researchers find any downside from the juice?

Not during the four-week trial. The researchers found no significant differences in metabolic biomarkers between the groups and reported no adverse effects on the measured health markers over the study period. They also found no significant difference in anxiety or gut symptoms. That does not mean unlimited fruit juice is suddenly a health drink. The study tested a small daily portion, as part of an overall effort to improve fruit and vegetable intake.

Why is the finding interesting?

Because getting people to eat more fruit and vegetables is surprisingly difficult. Newcastle University says fewer than one in five UK adults currently meet the five-a-day recommendation, while the proportion among teenagers is even lower. The researchers therefore looked at something practical. What if the solution isn't asking people to completely overhaul their diets, but giving them an easier way to add another portion? A small glass of juice or a smoothie could be one such option.

Who funded the research?

The study was funded by the Fruit Juice Science Centre, an industry-funded organisation supported by fruit producers, juice manufacturers and packaging companies. That doesn't invalidate the peer-reviewed findings, but it is relevant context when interpreting a study about the potential benefits of fruit juice. The researchers state that the funder had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing or decision to publish.

So, should you start drinking juice every morning?

Not because this study proves it will make you happier. What it does suggest is more modest: for people who eat very little fruit and vegetables, incorporating a small amount of 100% fruit juice or a smoothie into a broader healthier diet may be a practical way to increase intake, with a possible benefit for mood. The key word is 'possible.' The trial was small. The intervention lasted four weeks. And the researchers themselves want the mood finding tested in larger and longer studies. So don't pour yourself a second glass just yet. But perhaps that first one doesn't deserve quite as bad a reputation as it once did.

(With inputs from ANI)