Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Creating more space for fruits and vegetables in our plates may help curb the onset of depression and psychological distress and improve our overall mental wellbeing.

​The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review on data obtained from previously published studies that investigated the effect of high dietary ingestion of fruits and vegetables on mental health. Data from 5,911 studies were included in this study.

Researchers noted that the more the fruits and vegetables consumed, the higher the level of optimism and self-efficacy and lower the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms and psychological distress. "Therefore, the general recommendation to consume at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be beneficial also for mental health," the authors concluded.