Over the past few years, it’s become ever more clear that what we consume affects our overall health and wellbeing. 

However, many of us haven’t taken this evidence-based information seriously.  

Resulting in preventable chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease being the main killers in our society. 

Disease patterns have changed since the late 1970’s. From predominantly infectious to predominantly chronic disease in the developed world,

This change has happened in line with economic development.

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology by the University of Otago has discovered that there are three key lifestyle factors that predict mental and physical health.

Researchers surveyed over 1100 young people from the US and New Zealand. Asking them about their sleep, exercise, diet and mental health.

Lead author Shay-Ruby Wickham discovered that sleep quality rather than quantity was one of the main predictors of mental health.

We normally think of the number of hours slept, rather than the actual quality of sleep when recommending healthy sleep habits. These still matter as Wickham found that more than 12 hours or less than 8 hours of sleep correlated to depressive symptoms and a decline in wellbeing. 

The quality of sleep provided a stronger indicator of mental health and wellbeing.

“This suggests that sleep quality should be promoted alongside sleep quantity as tools for improving mental health and well-being within young adults,”

Ms Wickham says. In addition to sleep quality, exercise and consuming more raw fruits and vegetables were next on the list of lifestyle factors that affected the wellbeing of participants.

“Sleep, physical activity, and a healthy diet can be thought of as three pillars of health, which could contribute to promoting optimal well-being among young adults, a population where the prevalence of mental disorders is high and well-being is suboptimal,” Ms Wickham concluded.