Fruit can help prevent depression in women, Aussie study finds

Australian researchers have discovered eating two pieces of fruit a day helps prevent depression, particularly in middle-aged women.

The researchers surveyed 6000 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, and found an apple a day could keep depression at bay.

Researchers believe fruit's anti-inflammatory properties help boost feel-good chemicals in the brain and body.

"Women who ate two or more pieces of fruit per day were less likely to report depressive symptoms," University of Queensland professor Gita Mishra said.

"It's something really positive to look forward to – it's something women could do right away."

However, she said researchers had not found a link between vegetable intake and depression.

"More research is needed on the different effects of fruit and vegetables, but this may be because fruit has higher levels of anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, such as resveratrol, which is not found in vegetables," Prof Mishra said.

Researchers will now study which varieties deliver the most joy.