If you’ve been reading Health Watch, you know it’s not exactly a secret… Eating the right fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest—and most effective—ways to protect your health. We’ve told you before that adding more of them to your diet could be the key to adding healthy years to your life.1 Now a new study reveals more surprising benefits to eating these foods.

The research comes to us from a team of experts in the U.K. They looked at health data from about 14,000 subjects over the age of 16. They found that people who ate the most daily servings of fruits and vegetables were around 30% more likely to experience this welcome perk.2

It might not be something you expect to get from eating these foods…or any other foods for that matter. But it could help put you in control of your own health—and even change the way your brain works.

The subjects who ate more servings of fruits and vegetables were more likely to have high mental well-being. It means they identified with feeling good about themselves, had higher levels of energy, and were more optimistic about their futures. They were less depressed and had a better outlook on life.

Just 6% of subjects who ate less than a full serving of either fruits or vegetables a day fell into this group. But adding just one serving can make a major difference. The people who ate at least one full serving of either food were 20% more likely to have high mental well-being.

According to lead researcher, Dr. Saverio Stranges, “fruit and vegetable intake may play a potential role as a driver, not just of physical, but also of mental well-being in the general population.” In other words, eating these foods may have just as much of an effect on your mental health as they do on your physical health.3

Eating more fruits and vegetables may prevent depression and make you feel more energetic. They could even help improve your outlook on life. We recommend you get them fresh and organic whenever possible. Avoid the stuff that comes packed in sugary syrups. But these foods aren’t the only way to help curb the blues. Exercise releases endorphins that can also boost your mood.

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References:
1http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2014/04/seven-daily-servings-lowers-your-risk-of-dying-by-42-percent/
2http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/9/e005878.abstract?sid=b582ac0b-c4f3-4932-b6a1-bd121bc7797b
3http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282972.php