Your body was more tolerant when you were younger and had eaten fries and buffalo wings. But as you get older and your metabolism changes, you start to reconsider what you put on your plate. A low-carb diet or intermittent fasting may help you lose a few pounds, but if you want to avoid chronic disease and live a healthy, fulfilling life beyond 50, your diet becomes even more crucial.

A diet high in various fruit varieties was linked to a 29% lower risk of depression approximately 20 years later, according to a 2024 Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging article. More consumption of oranges, tangerines, bananas, papayas, and watermelons was associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms. While eating more vegetables is generally advised by health professionals, there is no evidence that eating more vegetables reduces the symptoms of depression. (Read about the effects of eating fruit on your brain on a daily basis.)

Although depression is a mental health disorder, it’s also linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. The researchers believe that because you typically eat fruits raw, they retain the antioxidants and other nutrients that can reduce both inflammation and oxidative stress.