Beat the January blues this month grabbing an extra portion from the office fruit bowl. Study shows that fruit and veg help to improve moods leaving you happier, calmer and more energetic.
We all know that consuming our 5 A Day is vital for giving us the vitamins and nutrients we need. It's also a nifty way to keep us fuller for longer and stop us from resorting to fatty, sugary snacks in between meals. The latest benefit to eating an abundance of fruit and veg however, seems to be more psychological than physiological. A recent study carried out by the University of Otago, New Zealand has found that there is a direct relationship between the foods we eat and the way we feel.
The study comprised of 281 participants - the average age was 20 - each completing a food diary online for 21 days. They were asked to include the number of servings of fruit and veg they had eaten each day, as well as rate how they felt using a scoring system of positive and negative adjectives.
The results of the study found that when the subjects ate more portions of fruit and veg they were in a notably more positive mood the following day than when they didn't. As well as generally feeling happier, they also felt calmer and more energetic.
The study did find that this age group needed to eat between 6-8 portions each day in order to notice a meaningful difference. Despite this, the results are promising and just go to show that eating at least 5 A Day really is good for you.
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