Eating citrus may lower depression risk — Harvard Gazette
news.harvard.edu
Physician-researcher outlines gut-brain clues behind “orange a day” finding.

According to Harvard research, eating oranges stimulates growth of Faecalibacterium prausnitzia.

This bacteria lives inside the human gut and generates serotonin and dopamine — 2 powerful molecules that elevate your mood.

Harvard is one of the top 5 research universities in the world. Gary Ruvkun won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Where does he work ? Harvard.

If you feel sad, eat an orange 🍊

  • Zacryon@feddit.org
    2·
    11 hours ago

    The study is more correlation than causality. Even though they tried to be careful they did not (and can’t) account for a plethora of confounding factors, which – especially with depression – is particularly problematic.

    They provide a plausible explanation for a causal pathway, but did not prove it. This provides a testable hypothesis, which is why I would read this more like “more research needed”, rather than definitive proof. I wouldn’t go as far as to say “eat an orange a day, to keep depression away”. Although it probably wouldn’t hurt to eat some more fruit, given how bad the fruit content in most people’s diet is anyway.

    So this is, unfortunately, a rather sensationalist takeaway you’ve provided here, OP. But that’s the curse of how we’re doing capitalism. Even ‘top research universities’ like Harvard need to be sensationalist to attract some publicity and get their research funded.