Eat More Fruit to Improve Your Mental Health:
We all know eating a healthy well-balanced diet with fruit and veg is good for our physical health, but apparently, it benefits your mental health too.
A recent study from Aston University in the UK looked at the mental health benefits of eating more fruit, with the results published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The research team surveyed just over 400 adults in the UK about their psychological health, asking them to detail their diet and snacking habits.
The short answer is the team found those who ate more fruit were associated with ‘better’ mental health and a reduction in depressive symptoms.
Lead author Dr. Nicola-Jayne Tuck explained why the team believed the benefits to our mental health were specific from fruit and not vegetables: ‘Both fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, fibre and essential micronutrients which promote optimal brain function, but these nutrients can be lost during cooking.
‘As we are more likely to eat fruit raw, this could potentially explain its stronger influence on our psychological health.’
Whilst the study is unable to affirm that fruit has an absolute positive impact on mental health, Dr Tuck concluded that, overall, ‘it’s definitely worth trying to get into the habit of reaching for the fruit bowl.
Taken from: 10play
