Eating raw fruits and vegetables may be better for your mental health than cooked, canned and processed products, a study has found.
Public health campaigns have historically focused on aspects of quantity for the consumption of fruit and vegetables. However, the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, found that for mental health in particular, it may also be important to consider the way in which produce was prepared and consumed.
“Our research has highlighted that the consumption of fruit and vegetables in their ‘unmodified’ state is more strongly associated with better mental health compared to cooked/canned/processed fruit and vegetables,” said Tamlin Conner, Psychology Senior lecturer at University of Otago in New Zealand.
Conner believes this could be because the cooking and processing of fruit and vegetables has the potential to diminish nutrient levels.
“This likely limits the delivery of nutrients that are essential for optimal emotional functioning,” said Conner.
For the study, over 400 young adults from New Zealand and the US aged 18 to 25 were surveyed.