Feeling anxious during these troubled times? Perhaps tossing more berries on your cereal and chomping on extra serving of spinach could bring more calm to your life. An investigation using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging linked eating less than three sources of fruits and vegetables daily to a 24% higher risk of anxiety disorder among 26,991 men and women ages 45–65.

Possible reasons include the role that fruits and veggies play in our microbiome and how this affects the gut-brain axis. People who eat more produce on a daily basis are also less likely to be overweight, and the study found that as total body fat increased, so did the risk of being anxious. Moreover, the arsenal of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in colorful fruits and vegetables can support a healthy immune system, which is top of mind for many people.

The study was printed in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.