Millions of people are afflicted with depression, but medications now used benefit many with lingering unwanted side effects. This research examines lycopene, an antioxidant found in red fruits like tomatoes and watermelons, as a potential antidepressant. Mice subjected to chronic social stress, to simulate human depression, were treated with lycopene by scientists. Amazingly, the animals showed significant recovery from mood and behavior imparments.
The trick is that lycopene has the ability to boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for brain health, including growth, survival, and connection of nerve cells. With higher levels of BDNF, the mice’s brains were more plastic—essentially more resilient and flexible to stress.
This study identifies lycopene as a promising, natural remedy for the treatment of depression that may provide relief with fewer side effects than current medications. Additional studies are necessary to ascertain its efficacy in humans and dosing.
Full text: Heyan Xu, Yuna Wang, Dandan Geng, Fengming Chen, Yujia Chen, Lisa Cynthia Niwenahisemo, Lei Shi, Ning Du, Ziqiang He, Xiaoming Xu, Li Kuang, 2025, Lycopene Alleviates Depression-Like Behavior in Chronic Social Defeat Stress-Induced Mice by Promoting Synaptic Plasticity via the BDNF–TrkB Pathway, Food Science & Nutrition, 13(1), https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70003.