We already know that fruits and vegetables are part of a balanced, healthy diet, and now new research is giving us another reason to add even more of them to the mix.
According to a study from the University of Warwick, eating more of the dynamic duo can substantially increase happiness levels—all you have to do is up your intake to an extra eight portions a day. The research will be published in an upcoming issue of American Journal of Public Health, and is the first of its kind to really delve into the psychological aspects of fruits and veggies.
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The study followed more than 12,000 randomly selected people who kept food diaries and then had their psychological well-being measured. The results found large positive psychological benefits within two years of an improved diet.
“Eating fruit and vegetables apparently boosts our happiness far more quickly than it improves human health,” said professor Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick. “People’s motivation to eat healthy food is weakened by the fact that physical health benefits, such as protecting against cancer, accrue decades later. However, well-being improvements from increased consumption of fruit and vegetables are closer to immediate.”