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A person is happier if he or she eats a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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British experts have found in a new study that a person's mental state improves if they eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day. The scientists came to this conclusion after studying the dietary preferences of more than 80,000 people. Fruits have a positive effect on mental well-being if you eat at least seven servings a day (one serving is 80 grams of fruit).
Currently, residents of Great Britain practically do not eat fruits and vegetables or eat them in small quantities (only a quarter of the population includes them in their daily diet). Only 10% of Britons eat the required amount of fruits and vegetables daily or even more. Scientists did not make any distinctions between types of fruits and vegetables.
The authors of the new project were themselves amazed at the strong potential of fruits and vegetables, and all the data had statistical confirmation. But the experts do not intend to stop there, they also plan to determine how exactly the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables affects the state of mental health, i.e. improves a person's mood and makes him happier.
Most Western nutritionists recommend that everyone, without exception, eat more vegetables and fruits (at least 400 grams) in order to protect against cancer and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
It is worth recalling that Japanese scientists recently analyzed eating habits and, based on the results, concluded that daily consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits reduces the number of suicides. Scientists from Tokyo analyzed information on the food preferences of about one hundred thousand people, collected over nine years, and came to the conclusion that people who daily include fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet are less prone to suicide than those who consume fruits in small doses (or do not consume them at all). Scientists studied the food preferences of representatives of both sexes, with different levels of income, the average age of the participants was around 50 years. Experts found that in the group of volunteers who ate fruits daily, the risk of suicide was reduced by half. At the same time, in the group where more fats and sweets were consumed, experts found a greater tendency to suicide in the participants. This project once again confirms that it is necessary to reduce or completely refuse to consume harmful products and include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Experts have not yet been able to establish the exact reason for this relationship between fruit consumption and a person’s mental state, but they do have several explanations. As one of the assumptions, experts have put forward a theory that the tendency to suicide may be associated with chronic diseases that are less likely to develop in people who include more fresh vegetables and fruits in their diet. Fruits also contain a sufficient amount of antidepressants, which helps a person cope with a stressful state faster.
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