Orange Juice for Mental Health?

I went to a recent event for dieticians and nutrition professionals - and just hadddd to share something on my mind…

The event was a part of a GLOBAL dietetics conference. It was focussed on providing education to those interested in learning more about the role of food & mental health.

I was involved in the food preparation for the event - and there was a dietician speaking about 3 key nutrients found in the meals we prepared.

When I took a look at the list of “featured ingredients”, I was a little surprised by one of them…

Let’s see if you can guess which one…

• Orange juice

• Mushrooms

• Beef steak

The one that took me off guard?

Orange juice.

Specifically FLORIDA orange juice.

When we look specifically at mental health, one of the most important things is REDUCED intake of processed foods (added sugars & ultra-processed food products) and INCREASED intake of whole foods - specifically fruits, vegetables, plant-based sources of fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, etc.), lean proteins, and fatty fish.

And, yes, there have been some studies demonstrating flavanone-rich orange juice has benefits on mental health… WHEN compared with a low-flavanone orange-flavoured cordial. However, in an event tailored to promoting mental health, I would have expected some other key nutrients to have been mentioned… (read more about nutrients for mental health here >>)

• Omega-3s

• Fiber

• Vitamin D

• Zinc

• B-Vitamin Complex

(read another study about nutrients for mental health here >>)

The lack of acknowledgment of these other nutrients took me off guard…

And, when I would’ve expected them to chat about the flavanone content of orange juice (based on the studies exploring specifically the benefits of the flavanone content of orange juice on mood & mental health), the dietician proceeded to talk about vitamin C and potassium.

Sure, these are important nutrients… BUT, vitamin C and potassium aren’t really the nutrients of concern we’d look at FIRST (according to current research) when it comes to mental health.

Again, the nutrients we would pay more attention to would be: omega-3s, zinc, B-vitamins, fiber, vitamin D, and overall diet quality (consumption of whole foods vs processed foods)

Let’s take a look at some of the nutrients associated with mental health & mood - and what foods are rich in each one…

B Complex - different B vitamins come from different sources, I’ve listed foods that are rich in different B vitamins below.

• Peas (summer green pea salad, homemade pea soup, pea + avocado dressing)

• Nuts (add to salad, use as a crust for proteins, crunch in oatmeal or yogurt parfaits)

• Eggs (scrambled, toast, egg salad, stir fries, omelet, hard boiled egg salads or snacks)

• Meat & fish (use a variety of meats & fish in your weekly meals)

• Milk (smoothies, latte, glass, 1-2% milk generally recommended)

• Green vegetables (folate) - broccoli, brussels, leafy greens - enjoy 1-2 servings of green vegetables per day :)

• Fortified breakfast cereals (for some, I would recommend a delicious yogurt, berry, and nut parfait with 1/4 - 1/2 cup of a fortified lower-sugar breakfast cereal on top - like all bran!)

Zinc

• Oysters (though I understand these aren’t the most practical food for many of us hehe)

• Beef steak (grilled/bbq, in salads)

• Pumpkin seeds (great in energy bites, salads, grain salad side dishes, or in pestos)

• Rolled oats (overnight oats, energy bites, homemade granola)

• Milk (smoothies, glass of milk, latte!)

Omega-3s

• Chia seeds (chia seed pudding, homemade fruit “jams”)

• Flax seeds (mixed into an energy bite batter, mixed into baked goods, sprinkled on a salad, mixed into yogurt parfaits)

• Salmon (salads, roasted, poke bowls, avocado salmon toast)

• Walnuts (walnut pesto, salads, yogurt parfaits, oatmeal with walnuts, walnut-crusted salmon for a double-whammy!)

Fiber

• Beans (great in stir frys, dips, black bean soup, homemade tacos or taco salads)

• Whole grains (side dishes, whole grain salads - brown rice, quinoa, kamut, farro, etc.)

• VEGETABLES AND FRUITSSSS - fruits with skin, when possible

Vitamin D

• Best to get this via direct exposure to sunlight (short period of time)

• Can be found in fortified products (milk & non-dairy milks are generally fortified with vitamin D)

• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel)

In general, we would look to the Mediterranean Diet for support when it comes to mental health, mood, and brain function. The Mediterranean diet includes many of the nutrients listed above…

• Lots of vegetables

• Fiber through whole grains, veggies, and fruits

• Fish & lean proteins

• Nuts, seeds, and plant-based sources of fats

So… would orange juice fall into this list?

• Perhaps if fortified with vitamin D…

• Perhaps if someone had a condition that made chewing/swallowing more challenging…

• Perhaps in very specific scenarios…

But - for the purpose of mental health (based on what we know about the nutrients that support mental health)

I would say no.

We need to be honest when it comes to nutrition.

The food industry has a responsibility to be transparent and HELP us make informed decision.

Want a glass of orange juice because it’s refreshing and you love it? AWESOME.

Want orange juice because you think it will help your mental health (or you think you’re deficient in vitamin C… which is highly unlikely)? Perhaps let’s look at some other factors.

**Note: I am not a medical professional or mental health expert. The information shared in this post is for educational purposes ONLY and should not be used in place of medical advise from your primary care practitioner or medical professional. Be sure to connect with your primary care practitioner prior to making any changes to your diet - and prior to starting/stopping any dietary supplement.