Mental health conditions are an increasing problem in Australia and around the world. Around one in two Australians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Globally, about 1 in 10 people live with a mental health disorder.
Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with less stress, according to a new research from Edith Cowan University(ECU). The findings revealed people who ate at least 470 grams of fruit and vegetables daily had 10 percent lower stress levels than those who consumed less than 230 grams. Lead researcher, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini said, “We found that people who have higher fruit and vegetable intakes are less stressed than those with lower intakes, which suggests diet plays a key role in mental health.”
According to Ms Radavelli-Bagatini, some stress is considered normal, but long-term exposure can lead to a range of health problems including heart disease, depression and anxiety, so we need to find ways to prevent and possibly reduce mental health problems in the future.
Previous studies have shown the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and stress in younger adults. But this is the first time we’re seeing similar results across adults of all ages,” said Radavelli-Bagatini. While the mechanisms (机制)behind how fruit and vegetable consumption influences stress are still unclear. Radavelli-Bagatini said key nutrients could be a factor.
“Vegetables and fruits contain important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals andcarotenoids(类胡萝卜素) that can reduce inflammation(发炎) and oxidative (氧化应激) stress which are recognized factors that can lead to increased stress, anxiety and lower mood, and therefore improve mental health,”. she said. These findings encourage more researches into diet and specifically what fruits and vegetables provide the most benefits for mental health.
1. According to the passage, what problems can be caused by long-term stress?2. What might be the reason why eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lead to less stress?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Researches carried out before have shown that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower stress level in people of all ages.
4. Besides eating fruit and vegetables, what other ways do you often use to cope with stress to maintain mental health? (about 40 words)
