The old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. According to recent research being done in Australia and the UK, it may also keep the psychiatrist away!
According to this article, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption can have positive effects on mental health; similar to the well-documented positive effects of increased physical exercise.
Several studies are explored, with the overall conclusion being: even when controlling for other factors like income, health, and consumption of other food, participants who increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables by just one serving a day reported significantly higher life satisfaction and mental well-being.
As the author mentions, there isn’t enough evidence yet to establish that eating fruits and vegetables can prevent mental illness, and a change in diet should never replace necessary treatment.
At the end of the day though, if adding one serving of a food group could have such a positive impact, why not give it a shot?
