Author: Joe Fowler
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Researchers find that people who eat fruits and vegetables regularly have a much more positive mindset.
Frequent and regular consumption of vegetables leads to the accumulation in the body of healthy plant compounds, carotenoids, which increase optimism.
The link between mental and physical health has long been confirmed by a number of studies and studies, but they focus mainly on reducing stress and anxiety.
In the new study, researchers are trying to show that eating vegetables not only improves health and mental health, but also positive thinking .
Carotenoids, in particular beta-carotene, which are found in orange fruits and vegetables and in some green vegetables such as spinach and cabbage, are antioxidants. They reduce the harmful effects of free radicals in the body, which damage cells and increase the risk of health problems.
The researchers made a scientific assessment of the concentration in the blood of nine different antioxidants , including beta-carotene and vitamin E. The study involved about 1,000 people aged 25-74 years.
Participants fill out a questionnaire about their lifestyle and their attitude towards it. Researchers also take blood samples from volunteers to test for antioxidant levels.
After processing the results of the questionnaire and blood samples, it became clear that the more optimistic participants had 13% higher levels of carotenoids in the blood than the non- optimistic participants.
Researchers find that people who eat fruits and vegetables regularly have a much more positive mindset.
Further research is needed over a longer period of time to determine whether high levels of carotenoids lead to increased optimism or vice versa.
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine .