Fruit and veggies pave the road to happiness
news.uq.edu.au
Fruit and vegetables have been identified as a vital key to mental well-being. A University of Queensland study suggests eating eight or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day not only leads to better physical health but improves mental well-being.

This isn’t some bullshit. There is a real science behind it.

Stanford University is one of the best research universities in the world.

When it comes to our mental state and the ability to manage stress, the brain is often the first suspect. However, our nutrition can also play a significant part in that the trillions of microbes living in our gut, known as our microbiome, hold significant sway over our daily emotions and long-term mental health. This is because our microbiome and brain are in constant communication, influencing one another’s next move via the gut-brain axis.

“Our gut can be thought of as having its own brain, replete with motor neurons, sensory neurons, and neurotransmitters. In fact, our ‘gut brain’ contains more of some neurotransmitters, like serotonin, than the brain in our head,” states Dr. Spencer.

“Increasing evidence is showing that bacteria in the gut, and the byproducts they produce, affect mood, cognition, and behavior,” states Dr. Spencer.

Our nutritional choices play a crucial role in shaping the composition and functionality of our gut microbiota. Consuming healthy foods fosters an environment where “good” microbes thrive, producing byproducts that benefit our mental health

https://lifestylemedicine.stanford.edu/stress-and-the-microbiome/

Eat a ton of fruits and vegetables. It will help your mood.

  • fireweed@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    2 days ago

    I skimmed the original study (published in 2014).

    This is a correlation study, as are nearly all large-scale population studies. Everything (including number of produce servings a day consumed, physical health, and mental health) is self reported. The author says they controlled for income among other variables, but I’m calling SUS, because there’s a lot of factors regarding diet/food accessibility not easily captured in a handful of basic data points. In other words, there might be something here, but absolutely nothing has been proven.

    Remember, ice cream consumption is not a driver of the murder rate.*

    *It’s a science meme, go look it up