How To Improve Your Mood
The best dietary strategy to maintaining an upbeat mood and better mental health may be eating more raw fruits and vegetables. Research from New Zealand’s University of Otago found that positive moods and lower levels of depression were associated with the more uncooked produce people ate. The researchers suggested that the link might be due to the fact that many fruits and vegetables provide the greatest number of nutrients in their natural state, which they said might have the most beneficial impact on mood and brain chemistry.
These findings came from data obtained by a survey of more than 400 young adults, ages 18 to 25 in the U.S. and New Zealand. The investigators focused on this age group because young people tend to consume a relatively low level of fruits and vegetables and are also at high risk for mental health disorders.
Eating fruits and vegetables that were cooked, canned or otherwise processed was associated with positive mood, but not with other mental health benefits.
10 foods most strongly associated with positive mental-health:
- Carrots
- Bananas
- Apples
- Spinach and other dark leafy greens
- Grapefruit
- Lettuce
- Citrus fruits
- Fresh berries
- Cucumber
- Kiwifruit
Source:
Kate L. Brookie et al, “Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables Is Associated With Better Mental Health Than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables.” Frontiers of Psychology, April 10, 2018, doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00487
Also in this week’s bulletin:
