What? That Can Increase Family Happiness?

Well, a study published in the Journal of Public Health (read more here) confirmed another way to increase happiness in your family. To some, this method of increasing happiness will come as a shock and lead to a resounding groan. To others it will lead to a collective shout

of joy. What could increase family happiness and still have such a variety of responses? Eating fruits and vegetables. What? It’s true. You have to be kidding! No, the study shows that eating 8 servings of fruit and vegetables will increase happiness (click here to check out the graph embedded in this review to show the increase). This is no small study either. Mujcic and Oswald (the authors) examined food diaries of 12,385 adults over the years 2007, 2009, and 2013.   That represents a lot of people over a long period of time. They found that eating 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day boosted happiness “to the max.” In fact, the  boost in happiness from eating 8 servings of fruits and vegetables had the same impact as getting a job after a period of unemployment! The boost in happiness occurred quickly as well. It didn’t take days or weeks. Eating fruits and vegetables today led to greater happiness tomorrow (unlike “the hamburger today [for which] I’ll gladly pay tomorrow”). So, bring on the brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans. Stock up on apples, oranges, bananas, and berries. Encourage your family to eat fruits and vegetables. It will bring greater happiness into your home.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.