“5 or more”: higher servings of fruits and vegetables linked to improved mental well-being of children

Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables was linked to better mental well-being scores among high school students, new UK-based study finds

“The relationship between diet and nutrition with mental health and well-being in children or adults is not fully understood, although the relevance of diet quality for physical health to physical health. morbidity and mortality from noncommunicable diseases is well established, ”the authors said. with Norwich Medical School wrote in the study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

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To conduct the study, researchers analyzed the 2017 Norfolk Child and Youth Health and Well-Being Survey published in more than 50 schools in Norfolk, UK, including data from 7 570 secondary school students and 1,253 primary school students.

The study authors found a strong association between nutrition and mental well-being in older high school students, but analyzes did not reveal such a link in elementary school students, possibly due to less understanding of portion sizes in self-reported data.

The results of high school students indicated a linear trend between fruit and vegetable consumption and the mental well-being score; five or more servings were associated with greater mental well-being compared to 3-4 or 1-2 servings. The largest serving (5 or more) was associated with an increased well-being score of 3.73 compared to children who reported no serving.

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Additionally, children who did not eat breakfast and children who only consumed an energy drink scored 2.73 and 3.14 units lower, respectively. Packed lunches were also associated with improved mental well-being compared to not having lunch at all.

The researchers suggested a potential biological basis behind the link between nutrition and higher mental well-being; nutrition is the key to hormonal development, growth and metabolism, with “direct effects on a number of biological processes, including oxidative processes, inflammation and immunity, and brain signaling molecules”, the authors wrote in part, adding that an unhealthy diet causes inflammation, often higher in patients battling depression, and insufficient intake of “magnesium, folate and zinc” has been linked to depression and fatty acids. n-3 long chain with anxiety.

“Public health strategies and school policies should be developed to ensure that all children receive good quality food before and during school in order to optimize mental well-being and enable children to achieve their full potential, ”the study authors concluded.