Australia’s climate produces fruit and vegetables that people in many countries can only dream of.
There really is no excuse to not eat plentiful amounts of fruit and vegetables and here’s another reason why we should. According to research from Edith Cowan University, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is linked to less stress.
The study, published in Clinical Nutrition, examined the link between fruit and vegetable intake and stress levels of more than 8,600 Australians, aged between 25 and 91, participating in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study from Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.
The findings revealed people who ate at least 470 grams of fruit and vegetables daily had 10% lower stress levels than those who consumed less than 230 grams. The World Health Organization recommends eating at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per day.
The benefits of a healthy diet are well known, but only one in two Australians eat the recommended two serves of fruit per day and fewer than 1 in 10 eat the recommended five serves of vegetables each day.
“Vegetables and fruits contain important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and carotenoids that can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and therefore improve mental wellbeing,” said lead researcher, PhD candidate Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, from ECU’s Institute for Nutrition Research.
“Inflammation and oxidative stress in the body are recognised factors that can lead to increased stress, anxiety and lower mood.”
