Eating more fruit and vegetables can make you happier

New research, published this month in the prestigious American Journal of Public Health, indicates that eating more fruit and vegetables can substantially increase people’s later happiness levels.

The study, by Warwick Economics professor and CAGE Research Associate Andrew Oswald and Dr Redzo Mujcic from the University of Queensland, is one of the first major scientific attempts to explore psychological well-being beyond the traditional finding that fruit and vegetables can reduce risk of cancer and heart attacks.

Happiness benefits were detected for each extra daily portion of fruit and vegetables up to 8 portions per day.

The researchers concluded that people who changed from almost no fruit and veg to eight portions of fruit and veg a day would experience an increase in life satisfaction equivalent to moving from unemployment to employment. The well-being improvements occurred within 24 months.

Cancer
The study followed more than 12,000 randomly selected people. These subjects kept food diaries and had their psychological well-being measured. The authors found large positive psychological benefits within two years of an improved diet. As Professor Andrew Oswald explained: