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We know the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, but fruits could also preserve our mental health. According to a recent study published in the last 26 in the British Journal of Nutrition. This work carried out by the College of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Aston in the United Kingdom revealed that people who frequently eat fruit are more likely to report mental well-being and would be less likely to report symptoms of depression than others.
The study further reveals that how often we eat fruit is more important for our psychological health than the total amount we consume in a week.
Psychological health and fruit consumption
“Other studies have linked fruits and vegetables to mental health, but few have looked at fruits and vegetables separately – and even fewer have assessed the frequency and amount of their consumption,” says Nicola-Jayne Tuck, doctoral student and main author of this study. In practice the study involved 428 adults from across the UK and examined the relationship between their consumption of fruits, vegetables, sweet and savory snacks, and their psychological health.
Result, after taking into account demographic and lifestyle factors such as age, general health and physical exercise, the researchers found that nutrient-dense fruits and nutrient-poor salty snacks appeared to be linked to psychological health. Conversely, they also found that there was no direct link between vegetable consumption and psychological health.
According to the study, the higher the fruit consumption, the lower the volunteers scored for depression and a high score for mental well-being, regardless of the overall amount of fruit consumed. People who frequently snacked on nutrient-poor salty foods, such as crisps), were conversely more likely to suffer from “daily mental blackouts” and report lower levels of mental well-being.
Snacking on salty foods increases memory loss
“Very little is known about how diet can affect mental health and well-beingand although we did not examine causality directly here, our results may suggest that frequently snacking on nutrient-poor salty foods may increase daily memory loss, which in turn reduces psychological health.” says the author of the study.
Regarding the causes of this favorable link between mental health and fruit consumption, Nicola-Jayne Tuck mentions in particular the consumption of raw fruits richer in antioxidants and fiber.
“Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, fiber and essential micronutrients that support optimal brain function, but these nutrients can be lost during cooking. As we are more prone to eating raw fruit, this could potentially explain their strongest influence on our psychological health“, concludes the author of the study.
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