Fruits for Mental Health

When you’re struggling with depressive symptoms, maintaining good eating habits can be difficult; this is the time when many people will reach for the comfort foods that are high in refined, processed sugar, refined carbohydrates and fat. These foods will contribute to fatigue, further aggravate poor mood and cause irregular blood sugar levels, this will then increase your cravings for more junk food and you will be more likely to reach for quick pick-me-up foods and the pattern continues.

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a diet with high intakes of fruits and vegetables was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Fruits and vegetables are rich in folic acid. When a person is low in folate they can have an increased risk of depression, insomnia and mental fatigue. A person suffering from depression can show high blood levels of homocysteine. This amino acid can interfere with depression recovery and it also endangers the heart. Folic acid helps minimise homocysteine levels, so eating enough folate-rich foods may have an antidepressant effect. So, eat fruits every day and be happy!