One of the secrets to happiness and mental health may be as simple as eating seven portions of fruits and vegetables a day, according to a new study set to be published in the journal Social Indicators Research.
Economists and public health researchers from the University of Warwick studied the eating habits of 80,000 people in Britain, and found mental wellbeing appeared to rise with the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables people consumed. Wellbeing peaked at seven portions a day.
The researchers said one-fourth of the British population eats just one portion or no portions of fruit and vegetables per day; only one-tenth currently consume the magic number of seven or more daily portions. The study did not distinguish among different kinds of fruits and vegetables and it defined a portion as approximately 80 grams.
“The statistical power of fruit and vegetables was a surprise. Diet has traditionally been ignored by well-being researchers," said co-author Sarah Stewart-Brown, professor of public health at Warwick Medical School. She added that much remained to be learned about cause-and-effect and about the possible mechanisms at work, and that randomized trials should now be considered.
