Fruits and vegetables can help you get through a sleepless night

Scientists from the University of Otago (New Zealand) and colleagues from the United States and the United Kingdom analyzed data from more than two thousand young people aged 17 to 25 years. The results were interesting: sleep quality turned out to be the main factor influencing the level of happiness and mental well-being. However, nutrition also plays a significant role, especially the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet.

The researchers found that even within a single day, the changes are noticeable: if a person ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, they felt more cheerful and positive on that particular day. Moreover, a rich plant-based diet partially compensated for poor sleep, helping to keep the mood at an acceptable level.

Physical activity also proved to be beneficial, but its effect was less pronounced and more often manifested in comparison with the habit of a particular person, rather than between different people.

Young people often face serious stresses: studying, financial difficulties, moving from their parents’ home, and new social roles. All this reduces the level of happiness and makes the psyche vulnerable. Therefore, simple and accessible habits — sleeping a little better, adding an apple or carrot to the diet, walking for 10 minutes longer — can really improve your mood and help you cope with everyday challenges.

“You don’t have to be perfect. Even small steps towards healthy habits have a noticeable effect,” said Jack Cooper, the study’s lead author.

Experts say that their work does not prove that these habits directly cause mood improvement, but the link between them is very obvious. In the future, the researchers plan to test the data on a wider sample and in different countries to understand how universal this effect is.

One conclusion is already clear: when the night has turned out to be hard, breakfast with fruits and vegetables can be the best ally in the fight for a good mood.