Besides protecting your heart health, research has shown that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help reduce your risk for depression and for certain forms of cancer. A 2013 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine explored the link between a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and mental health. Canadian researchers, who studied nearly 300,000 people over the course of a decade, found that greater fruit and vegetable intake was linked to a reduced risk for depression. A diet low in fruits and vegetables was associated with increased chances of mood and anxiety disorders.

Source: McMartin SE, et al. The association between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health disorders: evidence from five waves of a national survey of Canadians. Prev Med. 2013 Mar;56(3-4):225–230.