Scientists from Aston University found that people who frequently eat fruit are more likely to report greater positive mental well-being and are less likely to report symptoms of depression than those who do not.
The team also found that people who eat savory snacks such as crisps, which are low in nutrients, are more likely to report greater levels of anxiety.
The research was published in the British Journal of Nutrition and was conducted by Nicola-Jayne Tuck et al.
In the study, the team surveyed 428 adults from across the UK and looked at the relationship between their consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweet and savory food snacks, and their psychological health.
They found that both nutrient-rich fruit and nutrient-poor savory snacks appeared to be linked to psychological health. They also found that there was no direct link between eating vegetables and psychological health.
Based on the survey, the more often people ate fruit, the lower they scored for depression and the higher for mental well-being, independent of the overall quantity of fruit intake.
People who frequently snacked on nutrient-poor savory foods (such as crisps) were more likely to experience “everyday mental lapses” (known as subjective cognitive failures) and report lower mental well-being.
A greater number of lapses was linked to higher reported symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, and lower mental well-being scores.
By contrast, there was no link between these everyday memory lapses and fruit and vegetable intake or sweet snacks.
Examples of these frustrating little everyday mental lapses included forgetting where items had been placed, forgetting the purpose of going into certain rooms, and being unable to retrieve the names of acquaintances whose name was on the “tip of the tongue.”
These findings could suggest that frequent snacking on nutrient-poor savory foods may increase everyday mental lapses, which in turn reduces psychological health.
The team says both fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and essential micronutrients which promote optimal brain function, but these nutrients can be lost during cooking.
As people are more likely to eat fruit raw, this could potentially explain its stronger influence on psychological health.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about health problem that may double your depression risk, and common drugs for inflammation, and depression may treat COVID-19.
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