Fruits And Veggies Give Us Not Just Vitamins, But Also Great Energy

The advantages of consuming a fruit and vegetable diet are numerous! Many experts would agree to the fact that it is hard to find a better, richer, and more effective source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients than vegetables and fruits. This kind of diet is good for supporting out digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory systems, urinary tract function, and all other body systems and organs. We all know that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but a great number of vegetables and fruits can play a role of apple in this famous saying. Certainly, it is possible to enjoy the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetable diet provided the foods used for this kind of diet are 100 per cent organic. One way or another, it turned out that by consuming a fruit and vegetable diet it is possible not only support our physical health, but also improve our mood and feel more energetic during the day.

Those are the findings of a study by a group of scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand. For the experiment, the researchers invited 281 volunteers, young men and women,  and within 21 day the participant were asked to watch what they are eating and record what how they feel about what they eat in online food diary. After that, the information was collected and analyzed, and it turned out that those who reported consuming fast food most of the time felt quite energetic, but less happy and delighted comparing to those participants who reported consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, though fresh vegetables and fruit are less caloric comparing to fast food and other fatty foods, those who prefer fruit and vegetable diet reported feeling quite energetic and full of positive emotions to go through their daily tasks and feel not tired by the end of the day.

The scientists were quite impressed with these findings. ‘On days when people ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier and more energetic than they normally did,’ said Dr Tamlin Conner, one of the study leaders and the author of the report about the study. According to the estimations of the study group, young people should consume from six to eight portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day in order to harvest the mentioned benefits of this type of diet (keep in mind that the portion size in Australia and New Zealand are smaller and equal approximately the amount of food which can fit into an average person’s palm). Therefore, using 6-8 portions of organic fruits and vegetables a day can help young people feel positive changes in the mood, enjoy improved psychological condition, feel happy and energetic, and finally maximize the productivity at workplace.

During the study, New Zealand scientists tried to look closer at the issue and find the connections between consuming a fruit and vegetable diet and boosted mood. In other words, they intended to see the mechanisms how this type of diet influence our mood, and for how ling this influence can last. It was found out that a diet consisting of fresh vegetables and fruits has positive influence on our brain chemistry helping us feel happier and calmer. At the same time, it was found out that the effects of such diet are quite lasting, and by consuming a fresh fruit and vegetable diet it is possible to enjoy positive mood even in the next day. ‘While this research shows a promising connection between healthy foods and healthy moods, further research is necessary such as the development of randomised control trials evaluating the influence of high fruit and vegetable intake on mood and well-being,’ the study leader said. Find detailed information about the findings of the expert group in the website of the University of Otago.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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