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Raw fruit and vegetables better for mental health, prove NZ researchers
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Monday, 23 April, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Dunedin
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Go natural, is the simple message from University of Otago, New Zealand, researchers who have discovered raw fruit and vegetables may be better for mental health than cooked, canned and processed fruit and vegetables.
According to lead author psychology PhD student Kate Brookie, public health campaigns have historically focussed on aspects of quantity for the consumption of fruit and vegetables (such as 5+ a day).
However, the study, conducted by Brookie and co-authors psychology senior lecturer Dr Tamlin Conner and postgraduate honours student Georgia Best, just published in Frontiers in Psychology, found that for mental health in particular, it may also be important to consider the way in which produce was prepared and consumed.
“Our research has highlighted that the consumption of fruit and vegetables in their ‘unmodified’ state is more strongly associated with better mental health compared to cooked/canned/processed fruit and vegetables,” states Brookie.
Dr Conner believes this could be because the cooking and processing of fruit and vegetables has the potential to diminish nutrient levels.
Dr Conner states, “This likely limits the delivery of nutrients that are essential for optimal emotional functioning.”
For the study, more than 400 young adults from New Zealand and the United States aged 18 to 25 were surveyed. This age group was chosen as young adults typically have the lowest fruit and vegetable consumption of all age groups and are at high risk for mental health disorders.
The group’s typical consumption of raw versus cooked and processed fruits and vegetables were assessed, alongside their negative and positive mental health, and lifestyle and demographic variables that could affect the association between fruit and vegetable intake and mental health (such as exercise, sleep, unhealthy diet, chronic health conditions, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender).
Controlling for the covariates, raw fruit and vegetable consumption predicted lower levels of mental illness symptomology, such as depression, and improved levels of psychological well-being including positive mood, life satisfaction and flourishing. These mental health benefits were significantly reduced for cooked, canned, and processed fruits and vegetables.
“This research is increasingly vital as lifestyle approaches such as dietary change may provide an accessible, safe, and adjuvant approach to improving mental health,” states Dr Conner.
The top 10 raw foods related to better mental health - carrots, bananas, apples, dark leafy greens such as spinach, grapefruit, lettuce, citrus fruits, fresh berries, cucumber, and kiwifruit.
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