Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Fruit intake linked to lower depression and anxiety risk in Australian teens
Researchers followed 6,537 Australian teenagers across 71 schools for three years to study diet and mental health.
The students, who were about 13 at the start, reported how much fruit, vegetables and sugary drinks they consumed.
Each extra daily serving of fruit was linked to lower screening risk for depression and anxiety: 13% lower for depression and 7% lower for anxiety.
Higher sugary-drink intake was associated with greater risk, with a stronger numerical link to anxiety among boys.
The results were based on symptom-screening scales, not clinical diagnoses, and the researchers accounted for several factors including age, sex and physical activity.
More research is needed to clarify how diet and adolescent mental health are connected and whether dietary changes could help prevent or delay problems.
Researchers followed 6,537 Australian adolescents over three years to examine links between diet and depression and anxiety symptoms.
Each additional daily serving of fruit was associated with 13% lower depression risk and 7% lower anxiety risk.
Higher intake of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with greater risk of meeting screening thresholds for these symptoms.
The study did not establish that diet caused changes in mental health.
The outcomes were based on symptom-scale screening thresholds, not clinical diagnoses.
- Who
- Researchers studied 6,537 Australian adolescents, with a mean age of about 13.
- What
- The study examined links between fruit, vegetable and sugar-sweetened beverage intake and depression and anxiety screening thresholds.
- When
- Participants were followed for three years; the article was published on 2026-10-19.
- Where
- Students attended 71 schools in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
- Why
- Researchers investigated whether dietary intake was associated with adolescents’ risk of common mental disorder symptoms.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Participants aged 12–13 completed digital surveys about their diet and mental health.
Participants completed another digital survey.
Participants completed another digital survey.
Participants completed a further survey, completing the study’s follow-up period.
- Participants
- 6,537 adolescents
- Schools
- 71 schools in Australia
- Follow-up
- Three years
- Fruit and depression
- Each additional daily serving was associated with 13% lower depression risk
- Fruit and anxiety
- Each additional daily serving was associated with 7% lower anxiety risk
- Study journal
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health