Consider the Jolly Green Giant. Cradling a pod of peas or lugging around a tall cob of corn, it’s clear this guy has strength and stamina. A steady diet of vegetables has made him grow to enormous proportions – but he has something else going for him: a smile. “Jolly’s” even part of its name.

There’s a reason moms always remind us to eat our fruits and vegetables. Growing convincing research makes it hard to ignore the benefits: These foods are not only beneficial for our physical health, they also improve our mental health.

“This is the first study to examine the link between VF [fruit and vegetable] consumption and stress throughout adult life, ”says Simone Radavelli Bagatini Reverse. Radavelli Bagatini is the lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at the Institute for Nutrition Research, School of Medical and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University in Australia. “We believe that eating more VF can significantly improve mental well-being.”

LONGEVITY HACKS is a regular series of Reverse on science-based strategies for living better, healthier and longer without drugs. Get more in our Hacks index.

SCIENCE IN ACTION – Take a recent study published in the journal Clinical nutrition. He looked at 8,689 Australians of all ages, who were part of a different and larger study, and asked them about the fruits and vegetables they ate. The researchers also assessed the stress levels of the participants.

It found that people who ate the most vegetables had a significantly lower score on how they perceived their stress than those who ate the least vegetables by weight, which was estimated by how often they reported the consume and standard portions.

The bottom quarter of people (who ate less than 243 grams of vegetables per day) had, on average, stress questionnaire values ​​10% lower than the top quarter of vegetable eaters – who ate more than 473 grams per day .

Unlike previous studies which focused on young adults, this one covered a wide range of ages. He also wondered about perceived stress, which is an important measure of how a person interacts with their environment – and something that has a significant impact on their well-being.

This study is consistent with previous research: In 2019, scientists examined 45,000 people and asked participants to note how many servings of fruits and vegetables they ate on a given day. They were also asked to complete a mental health questionnaire. Parts of these people were also questioned several times. Ultimately, it turned out that people who ate more servings of fruits and vegetables and did so more frequently reported higher mental well-being scores.

A 2020 review of 61 studies on the consumption of vegetables and fruits also found that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables can reduce psychological distress and signs of depression, while increasing feelings of optimism and depression. “self-efficacy”. Although many studies have used different and measured methodologies for different indicators of mental well-being, the general conclusion is that these foods have a positive influence.

HOW THIS AFFECTS LONGEVITY – It takes more than just avoiding disease and being in good physical shape to live a long, healthy life. Physical and mental health are inextricably linked – so much so that it may seem strange that we have historically separated them.

For example, exercise is an accepted treatment for depression and anxiety, and strong social and community bonds have been shown time and time again to lead people to live longer and healthier lives.

Now, we also have a better idea of ​​how many veggies (and what types) you’ll need to reduce those stress levels. In the latest study, they found that at least the 400 grams recommended by the WHO reduced stress, but people who ate about 500 grams of vegetables and fruit (about three medium apples or 10 medium carrots) had the less stress.

But Radavelli Bagatini says that in future studies they want to be even more specific. “This is the next step in our research, which will explore further whether specific intakes of types of fruits (ie citrus fruits) and vegetables (ie crucifers, leafy greens) are more or less strongly linked to higher stress, ”she says. “We also plan to investigate whether VF is more or less strongly associated with different types of stressors, ie joy, demands, etc.”

And if we go back to a review of the 61 past studies, three kinds of fruits and vegetables stand out as the most beneficial in high quantities for feeling more optimistic and self-confident:

• Leafy vegetables
• Citrus
• Berries

And a 2016 psychological wellness study found that increasing vegetables and fruits by eight servings a day actually induces the same level of happiness that comes with going from unemployment to work.

WHY IT’S A HACK – Research clearly shows that there are mental health benefits associated with eating fruits and vegetables.

But the mechanisms behind their stress relieving power are still relatively unclear. The authors of the new study, for example, write that vegetables and fruits are high in polyphenols and antioxidants like vitamins C and E, vitamins believed to reduce “oxidative stress” and inflammation. This, in turn, can reduce psychological stress.

The UK Biobank study included some of the same reasoning and added that vitamin B, which many fruits and vegetables are rich in, may reduce mitochondrial dysfunction in body cells – a phenomenon previously linked to stress and anxiety. They also noted a “substitution effect”, where the consumption of more fruits and vegetables could replace foods clearly detrimental to well-being: sugar, red meat, etc.

So be like the Jolly Green Giant – eat your veg, and you might finally get some inner peas (sorry).

HACK SCORE OUT OF 10 – (7/10)