How eating fruit and vegetables can improve mental health

On World Mental Health Day, experts explain the benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables and how this can reduce depression and anxiety

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Studies show that eating more fruit and vegetables can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, leading to improved mental health. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 10 Oct 2024Updated: 5:54am, 10 Oct 2024

Celebrated on October 10, World Mental Health Day is a good day to start adding more fruit and vegetables to your meals.

Among other health benefits, eating a diet rich in these foods has been shown to improve mental health. Most of us do not eat enough of them, though.

“The World Health Organization suggests that we consume at least 400g [14oz], or approximately five servings, of fruits and vegetables a day to promote overall health and reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer,” says Hong Kong-based dietitian Sally Shi-po Poon.

In Hong Kong’s Population Health Survey 2020-22, conducted by the Department of Health, only 2 per cent of respondents reported having an average of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day, Poon says, with that split between 2.2 per cent of females and 1.8 per cent of males.

Sally Poon is a Hong Kong-based dietitian. Photo: Sally Shi-po Poon

Fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy gut, says Dr Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the United States.