Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is good for your physical health, but a new study examined how a better diet affected psychological well-being, and discovered that participants got a mental boost from eating healthier after just two weeks.

The research team at the University of Otago examined 171 young adults all between the ages of 18 and 25. They were split into three groups and followed an eating routine designed by researchers over two weeks, according to a press release from the university.

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One group continued their typical diet, a second was both encouraged and reminded — through text reminders and pre-paid vouchers — to eat more fruits and vegetables. The last group was personally given two extra servings of fresh produce each day, which included carrots, kiwifruit, apples and oranges.

Researchers found that the third group experienced "significant improvements to their psychological well-being, with boosts in vitality and motivation," the release noted. Researchers were encouraged by the fact that, over just two weeks, healthier eating had such a noticeable effect on mental well-being.

"The message from this study is we should be giving people more fruits and vegetables to eat, not simply reminding people to eat their 5+ a day. People in dormitories, children in daycare centres, patients in hospitals, employees in the workplace, could be provided with fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis," said lead researcher Dr. Tamlin Conner in the release.

Read: Cereals Rich In Whole Grains And Fiber Can Lower Risk For Early Death

The study group that was given fresh fruit and vegetables mostly consumed them uncooked.

Source: Conner CS, Brookie KL, Carr AC, Mainvil LA, Vissers MCM. Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS One. 2017.

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