JUNE/JULY 2017 PREVENTION 57
Mind
SMART WAYS TO STAY SHARP, CALM AND POSITIVE
Can broccoli make you blissful? Maybe. Recent research by
University of Warwick and the University of Queensland
found that adding fruits and vegetables to our diets provides
a happiness increase that kicks in within 24 months.
Researchers surveyed 12,000 Australians over several years
and found that self-reported satisfaction levels went up with
each daily serving of fruits and vegetables, up to eight a day.
Why? Theories include changes in gut bacteria afecting the
brain, greater production of serotonin, and the fact that
antioxidants encourage optimism. The researchers say the
study shows “There is a psychological payof now from fruit
PHOTOGRAPHY iSTOCKand vegetables – not just a lower health risk decades later.”
Happiness is a
bowl of spinach
Another food that
may help boost
your mood?
Eggs contain
tryptophan, an
amino acid that is
converted into
serotonin.