Eating five fruits and vegetables a day, as we know, has many nutritional assets for health. But there is another benefit that we had no idea: to help reduce the risk of depression.
This is in any case what a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, and published in the journal Scientific Reports. Carried out on a sample of 3,483 individuals living in the United States, Denmark, Australia and Sweden, this study was particularly focused on twins, whose genetic similarities make it possible to minimize the influence of hereditary factors. The health problems observed in this context can thus be attributed to other variables, such as the diet or the level of physical activity.
According to Sciencealart, which relays this work, the researchers observed a difference in depressive disorders between individuals with high consumption of fruits and vegetables and those with low consumption. It is important to note that this difference was qualified as “modest”, but that the study participants did not respect the daily recommendations for consumption of fruits and vegetables, which recommend at least five portions per day. The first group (high consumption) ate four daily portions, the second (low consumption) barely one.
A solution in the face of anxiety that is generalized?
According to Annabel Matison, researcher at Unsw, “It is difficult to assert whether depressive disorders would decrease significantly if the consumption of fruits and vegetables reached the recommended levels». However, the size of the sample, combined with the use of twins in this study, suggests that there is a real cause and effect link between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the reduction in the risk of depressive disorders. “”The results of this study are consistent with most previous observations“Indicates a note published by the research team.
It is also relevant to emphasize that the age of the participants (45 years and over) reinforces this hypothesis, the depressive disorders often reaching their peak between 55 and 75 years.
The benefits of healthy fruits and vegetables are already well established. However, this study could offer us a simple and effective tool to help fight depressive disorders, in a context where anxiety levels are particularly high.
