Cryptoxanthin is a carotenoid responsible for the orange and red colour in a number of commonly eaten plant foods, but is particularly abundant in the satsuma mandarin orange. Evidence suggests that cryptoxanthin is beneficial to mental health because it is able to prevent the development of anxiety or depression. These mental health effects may stem from the ability of cryptoxanthin to reduce the effects of stress. For example, in one study researchers administered 125 mL cryptoxanthin rich orange juice to a number of students. The students consumed the orange juice for 10 days prior to an examination and then for a further 10 days during an examination period. The results of the study showed that the cryptoxanthin was significantly effective at reducing a marker of stress in the female students but not male students, suggesting that the orange juice may have conferred a gender specific anti-stress effect. Eating a high cryptoxanthin diet may therefore have certain beneficial anti-stress effects in women.
As well as satsuma mandarin oranges, cryptoxanthin can be found in a number of foods including orange rind, papaya, egg yolk, butter, apples, peppers and pumpkins. A high plant diet containing red and orange vegetables and fruits may therefore contribute towards a cryptoxanthin rich diet.
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