Eating fruit linked to better mental health for teens

Key points

• Eating one extra serve of fruit a day is linked to a 13 per cent lower risk of depression symptoms in teenagers, a University of Sydney study has found. The same extra serve was linked to a seven per cent lower risk of anxiety symptoms.
• Higher intake of sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, cordials and sports drinks, was linked to a higher risk of both conditions, with a stronger link in male teenagers, particularly for anxiety.
• The study followed 6537 adolescents from 71 secondary schools across NSW, Queensland and Western Australia from Year 7 to Year 10.