Vegetables may hold the fastest route to happiness, with a new study indicating that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables can substantially increase consumers’ happiness levels.
Research has shown that by increasing daily fruit and vegetable consumption from almost nothing to eight portions a day, consumers could experience a tangible increase in their general happiness.
“This research has found that happiness increases incrementally for every extra daily portion of fruit and vegetables, up to a total of eight portions per day,” said AusVeg spokesperson Shaun Lindhe.
“With these improvements in well-being occurring within 24 months, eating fruit and vegetables on a regular basis can boost your happiness just as quickly as they can improve your health, meaning that vegetable consumption has short-term benefits as well as long-term rewards.”
The study, conducted by the University of Warwick in England in collaboration with the University of Queensland, followed more than 12,000 randomly selected participants by examining their food diaries and measuring their psychological well-being.
The study is one of the first major scientific attempts to explore the impact of fresh fruit and vegetables on psychological well-being, moving beyond the basic understanding that consuming fresh produce is a key part of a healthy diet.
