Daily fruits and vegetables protects us from stress consequences

Physicians are studying the effects of eating fruits and vegetables on stress
In today's society, many people suffer from the negative effects of stress. Researchers have now found that consuming three to four servings of fruit a day results in a significant reduction in stress.

The researchers from the University of Sydney found that daily consumption of enough fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the perceived stress compared to people who consume little fruit or vegetables. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "BMF Open".

Fruits and vegetables are good for the body. New research has now shown that moderate consumption of fruits and vegetables can also protect against stress. (Image: Alexander Raths / fotolia.com)

Researchers are studying more than 60,000 participants for their study
A study of more than 60,000 Australians over the age of 45 analyzed the impact of fruit and vegetable consumption on participants' psychological burden. The psychological burden was measured with the help of the so-called Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, a questionnaire that measures general anxiety and depression, the experts explain. Fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed on the basis of a few short questions.

What causes the consumption of fruits and vegetables?
When people consume three to four servings of vegetables daily, the perceived stress decreases by 12 percent. When the subjects consumed five to seven servings of fruit and vegetables a day, the stress they experienced actually decreased by 14 percent compared to subjects who consumed less than three servings a day.

Women benefit more from fruits and vegetables
When female subjects consumed three to four servings of vegetables daily, stress levels were 18 percent lower compared to women who consumed no or one serving a day. For participants who consumed fruit and vegetables five to seven times a day, the risk of stress actually dropped by 23 percent.

Fruit alone does not reduce stress
Consistent fruit consumption - excluding vegetables - had no significant association with a lower incidence of stress, according to the researchers. In addition, there was no significant difference between very high levels of consumption of fruits and vegetables (more than seven servings daily) and a significantly increased protective effect against stress, say the physicians.

summary of results
In other words, these results of the study show that moderate daily fruit and vegetable intake is associated with lower rates of mental stress Melody Ding from the University of Sydney's School of Public Health. Also, the increased consumption of vegetables is associated with a lower incidence of mental stress. The fruit intake alone, however, does not seem to have a great effect on people's mental stress, adds the expert.

Further research is needed
Stress protection is higher in women compared to men participating in the study. This suggests that women benefit more from consuming fruits and vegetables, says author Binh Nguyen from the University of Sydney. Further investigations should be carried out in order to examine the occurring effects more exactly, so the conclusion of the researchers

Consumption of fruits and vegetables protects against depression
The new findings of the study are consistent with numerous cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. These have already shown that consuming fruits and vegetables together and separately is associated with a lower risk of depression. (As)