Eating more fruits and vegetables is good not only for the body but also for mental health

by Steven Feldman

Many people think "increase intake of fruits and vegetables" for diet and health, but such diet is not only good for physical health but also improves mood and emotional well-being Research results that support boost is reported.

Lettuce be happy: A longitudinal UK study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953618306907

University of Leeds | News> Health> Hearts and minds: fruit and veg boost well-being
https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/4366/hearts_and_minds_fruit_and_veg_boost_well-being

In a study conducted at Leeds University , we analyzed long-term survey data collected from 2010 to 2017 for UK households. People who participated in the survey filled out a health questionnaire including how much perishable food is eaten in a day or a week, and also on their own happiness level, self-worth and anxiety.

As a result, if we define "one unit of fruits and vegetables" as "a cup or fresh vegetables of a fist size", "cooked vegetables or cut fruits of half a cup", "1 fruit", 3 to 4 It was discovered that people who ingested unit fruits and vegetables reported better psychological well-being than those who did not. This happiness state is measured not from the general health condition or the degree of satisfaction of life but from the viewpoint of "Does it have a good influence" in consideration of the change in the front and the back? It is reported that when this "good impact" is 1 point higher, it consume more fruit than 0.11 units and more than 0.14 units of vegetables.

In the paper, "This survey suggests that by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables by about 10.5 units per day, it will have a positive effect on the same spiritual well-being as a job from unemployment status I emphasize the effect. Also, it is said that even if you increase the intake of 1 unit per day, it has the same effect as walking extra for 8 days per month.

However, in this survey, it was shown in the paper that the importance of recommending intake of fruits and vegetables at a higher level was lower as even the people who satisfied the intake amount "5 units per day" recommended by the British government were few I will.

I do not know why fresh foods will promote our mental health, but in past studies the relationship between vitamin E and vitamin C, which is rich in beans, oranges and spinach, is related It is suggested to be. Also, complex carbohydrates contained in fruits and vegetables are thought to increase the level of hormones / serotonin that produce a pleasant sensation.

The British National Insurance Service (NHS) is concerned with finding out this finding, because it is a longitudinal cohort study used here, it is suitable for finding relevance that fruit and vegetable intake leads to mental well-being However, we point out that one factor can not prove that it directly causes another factor, and other factors that are not measured may be affected as well.

The NHS has a limit to this research and takes a cautious attitude that it does not teach clearly whether the intake of fruits and vegetables actually brings about improvement in mental health, but also a lot of fruits and vegetables There is no doubt that there is an advantage to taking, if it leads to a reduction in happiness, fulfillment, anxiety, it is positive that it is a good thing.