Fruits and vegetables helpful in fighting depression

Fruits and vegetables are always needed to maintain good health. But now researchers have also found that balanced meal has psychological benefits too.

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Navnidhi Chugh
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Fruits and vegetables helpful in fighting depression

Fruits and vegetables helpful in fighting depression

Fruits and vegetables are always needed to maintain good health. But now researchers have also found that balanced meal has psychological benefits too.

Naturally-grown food has the potential to fight depression in less than two weeks.

Researchers from the University of Otago studied 171 adults aged between 18 and 25 about their dietary habits.

The volunteers were then divided into three groups in order to study the effects of having a diet high in fruit and vegetables.

For around next 14 days they continued eating as normal or were given reminders to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Or they were personally given two extra daily servings of fresh produce (carrots, kiwifruit, apples and oranges).

Volunteers in the last group reported some improvements to their psychological well-being, added to that boosts in vitality and motivation.

While others who were reminded by text did not show similar improvement , according to the study published in PLOS ONE.

It was found that they had more likely taken cooked vegetables in casseroles or mixed in with other meals.

Study author Dr Tamlin Conner said: 'The message from this study is we should be giving people more fruits and vegetables to eat, not simply reminding people to eat their 5+ a day.

'People in dormitories, children in daycare centres, patients in hospitals, employees in the workplace, could be provided with fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis.'

But she added that further research is needed to address whether eating more fresh produce might make differences to people's ill-being, including conditions such as depression.

PLOS ONE University of Otago