Children who eat fruit and veg have better mental health, study says

The adults in your life might have told you that fruit and veg helps healthy bodies, but a new study says it's also good for your mental health too.

That's according to research by the University of East Anglia which suggests that children who eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day have the highest scores for mental wellbeing.

The highest results were found in secondary school children.

"We know that poor mental wellbeing is a major issue for young people," said lead researcher, Professor Ailsa Welch.

"Until now, not much has been known about whether nutrition plays a part in children's emotional wellbeing."

The research

The study is the first to investigate the link between how much fruit and vegetables UK school children eat and their mental health.

The researchers analysed data from almost 9,000 children from 500 schools in the English county of Norfolk. This included 1,253 children in 30 primary schools and 7,570 pupils in 26 secondary schools.

Children involved in the study self-reported the food they had chosen to eat at mealtimes and took part in mental wellbeing tests, that looked at things such as cheerfulness, relaxation and how they felt spending time with others.

The study also took into account other factors that might have an impact on mental wellbeing - such as situations at home.

The results

The results found that only a quarter (25%) of secondary school children and 28% of primary school children reported eating the recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetables.

More than one in five secondary students and one in 10 primary students also said they didn't eat any breakfast and more than one in 10 secondary students didn't eat any lunch.

One in 10 children surveyed also said they didn't eat any fruit or vegetables during meal times at all.

Study author Dr Richard Hayhoe said the results are "concerning" and that poor diet can affect school performance and also growing up healthily.

He also added that "nutrition had as much or more of an impact on wellbeing", than other factors, such as adults arguing, that can negatively impact mental health.

He said: "Among secondary school children in particular, there was a really strong link between eating a nutritious diet, packed with fruit and vegetables, and having better mental wellbeing."

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