Consumption of dietary guidelines for Americans types and amounts of vegetables increases mean subjective Happiness Scale scores: A randomized controlled trial

Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) confers several health benefits. Recent evidence from observational and intervention studies postulates that consuming FV could also enhance psychological well-being. Based on these findings, De Leon et al. (2022) conducted their randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of FV consumption according to the 2010-2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) on mean Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) scores in a population of 75 individuals (age 18-65 years old, Body Mass Index ≥ 25, low dietary vegetable intake). The study included an eight-week feeding phase, where study participants were divided into two groups, and those in the intervention group received a supply of vegetables compliant with DGA recommendations. At the end of week 8, SHS scores were evaluated. Analysis of the results revealed a substantial increase in SHS scores in individuals who received vegetables, while the control group did not show any changes in SHS scores compared to their baseline. Thus, the authors conclude that enhancing dietary vegetable intake to comply with DGA recommendations leads to a substantial increase in SHS scores, highlighting the benefit of DGA vegetable intake recommendations in enhancing psychological well-being. [NPID: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fruits and vegetables, happiness, psychological well-being, vegetable consumption]

Year: 2021

Reference: De Leon, A., Jahns, L., Roemmich, J. N., Duke, S. E., & Casperson, S. L. (2022). Consumption of Dietary Guidelines for Americans Types and Amounts of Vegetables Increases Mean Subjective Happiness Scale Scores: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(7), 1355–1362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.11.009