Want to Feel Happy? Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are healthy and recommended foods. However, a new study from the University of Warwick in the UK and the University of Queensland in Australia has found an additional, unexpected effect: a significant improvement in the happiness levels of those who consume them.

The researchers examined 12,000 randomly selected individuals who documented everything they ate in a diary. Simultaneously, their levels of 'psychological well-being'—a scientific term for happiness—were assessed throughout the period. The results: "Eating fruits and vegetables likely enhances our happiness levels much more quickly than it improves physical health. People's motivation to eat healthily wanes due to the fact that health benefits, such as cancer protection, accumulate over decades. In contrast, improvements in happiness resulting from eating fruits and vegetables are almost immediate."

How much should one consume to feel great? The researchers found that every additional serving of fruits and vegetables enhances mood, up to eight servings, which provide the maximum benefit. This benefit is indeed significant: people who transitioned from a diet with almost no fruits and vegetables to one with eight servings a day experienced an increase in satisfaction comparable to that of the unemployed finding a job.

The study's results, the researchers say, should influence how health professionals encourage people to consume more fruits and vegetables. Dr. Redzo Mujcic, a leading researcher at the University of Queensland, says: "Our results may be more effective than traditional messages in convincing people to eat a healthier diet. There is an immediate psychological reward for consuming fruits and vegetables—not just reduced health risks in a few decades."

Further studies in the future will be needed to examine which components in fruits and vegetables contribute to feelings of satisfaction and happiness. The current hypothesis points to antioxidants, but, the researchers caution, it is too early to make definitive statements on the matter.