Just eating more fruits and vegetables every day increases psychological well-being.
In addition to being good for the body, consuming more fruits and vegetables improves mental health, according to a news study British. To reach these conclusions, the researchers analyzed the medical data and eating habits of more than 40,000 people in the UK. They found that consuming just one extra serving of fruits and vegetables per day could have an equivalent effect on psychological well-being as about 80 minutes of walking per month.
Satisfaction
“The results are clear: People who eat more fruits and vegetables report a higher level of mental well-being and life satisfaction than those who eat less,” note the study’s authors. “Encouraging better eating habits can not only benefit long-term physical health, but can also improve short-term mental well-being,” they add.
A previous study had already shown that adopting the Mediterranean diet (fruits, vegetables, olive oil, cereals, fish) reduced the risk of suffering from depression by 33%. Conversely, diets that promote chronic inflammation, that is, those that include a lot of foods high in saturated fatty acids and sugar, are associated with higher risks of depression.
The Lancet’s latest recommendations
According to the latest recommendations of Lancet, you should eat on average each day: 300 grams of vegetables, 200 grams of fruit, 200 grams of whole seeds (rice, wheat, corn, etc.), 250 grams of whole milk (or equivalent, such as cheese) and 14 grams of red meat. To compensate for the low daily intake of red meat, proteins can be obtained from the consumption of poultry (29 g), fish (28 g), eggs (13 g) and nuts of all kinds (pecans, Brazil…) (50 g). To put it simply, aiming to eat five fruits and vegetables a day is still relevant.
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