Feeling blue? Try a bowl of blueberries to lift your mood

Consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as wild blueberries can have a significant positive effect on young people's mood, a university study has identified.

In two trials published in 'Nutrients', children and young people consumed a drink containing wild blueberry or a matched placebo and were asked to rate their mood. In both trials, they recorded a big increase in positive mood.

Professor Shirley Reynolds, expert in adolescent mental health and director of the Charlie Waller Institute, said: "Sustained low mood is a problem that is common at all ages and is a core feature of depression," she said. "This research is important because it suggests that including flavonoids as part of a healthy mixed diet might help prevent low mood and depression."

Previous research has shown wild blueberries can improve cognitive function in primary school children.