[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Drinking one glass of 100 percent fruit juice or a smoothie every day may help reduce symptoms of depression, new research suggests.

Researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom found that adults who consumed an extra glass of fruit juice or a smoothie daily — on top of meeting the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables — showed meaningful improvements in depression indicators, according to the Daily Mail.

The research team conducted a four-week randomized controlled trial with 42 adults who normally ate two or fewer servings of fruits and vegetables per day. All participants followed UK health guidelines by consuming five portions of fruits and vegetables daily; half of them also drank an additional glass of 100 percent fruit juice or a smoothie.

The group that drank juice or smoothies scored lower on depression assessments. The research team said that group's depression score fell by 2.52 points on a 27-point scale. No significant change was observed in the group that consumed only whole fruit.

All participants increased their daily fiber intake by 8 to 10 grams over the course of the study. The juice-drinking group showed no adverse changes in metabolic health markers such as blood sugar, blood lipid levels or inflammation.

Lead researcher Dr. Courtney Neil said many people know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for their health but struggle to do so in practice. "We found that drinking one glass of 100 percent fruit juice or a smoothie every day is a more realistic way to help people meet the recommended five-a-day target, and that it also carries mental health benefits," she said.

Co-researcher Dr. Oliver Shannon called the reduction in depression scores among juice drinkers "a very encouraging result." He said simple dietary changes — such as increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, including by drinking a daily glass of juice — "can help improve mental health."

However, experts caution that the findings do not mean fruit juice acts as a treatment for depression, and advise that it should be consumed as part of a balanced diet given its sugar content. Fruit juice also contains less dietary fiber than whole fruit and may cause faster sugar absorption, so excessive consumption should be avoided.

Some earlier research has reported that eating whole fruit is associated with a reduced risk of depression, while fruit juice — due to its higher sugar content — may in some cases negatively affect mental health.

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[헤럴드경제=장윤우 기자] 잠을 많이 자면 건강하다는 통념이 흔들리고 있다. 하루 8시간을 넘겨 자는 사람은 6~8시간 자는 사람보다 모든 원인에 의한 사망 위험이 40% 높
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