Abstract
RationaleWhile the role of diet in influencing physical health is now well-established, some recent research suggests that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables could play a role in enhancing mental well-being. A limitation with much of this existing research is its reliance on cross-sectional correlations, convenience samples, and/or lack of adequate controls. ObjectiveWe aim to add to the emerging literature on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being by using longitudinal data from a study in the United Kingdom (UK). MethodWe employ panel data analytical techniques on three waves collected between 2010 and 2017 (i.e., following the same individuals over time) in the UK Household Longitudinal Survey. We also control for time-variant confounders such as diet, health, and lifestyle behaviours. ResultsFixed effects regressions show that mental well-being (GHQ-12) responds in a dose-response fashion to increases in both the quantity and the frequency of fruit and vegetables consumed. This relationship is robust to the use of subjective well-being (life satisfaction) instead of mental well-being. We also document a hump-shaped relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and age. ConclusionOur findings provide further evidence that persuading people to consume more fruits and vegetables may not only benefit their physical health in the long-run, but also their mental well-being in the short-run.
Highlights
A recent development in the well-being literature has been to show that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables are positively associated with mental and subjective well-being
We present the results of our main fixed-effects analysis, which examines the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental well-being as captured by reversed General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12
The United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health introduced the ‘five-a-day’ campaign in 2003 following mounting evidence from health research, and a recommendation from the World Health Organization to consume a minimum of 400 g of fruit and vegetables per day to prevent chronic disease and micronutrient deficiencies
Summary
A recent development in the well-being literature has been to show that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables are positively associated with mental and subjective well-being. In comparison to Blanchflower et al (2013) they examined a much broader range of health outcomes such as blood pressure and levels of cholesterol, in addition to psychological well-being. They found that individuals who consumed three to four portions of fruit daily reported better psychological well-being compared to those who did not. Further recent cross-sectional studies suggestive of a link between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being include Peltzer and Pengpid (2017) and Sapranaviciute-Zabazlaieva et al (2017). A further cross-sectional study found that the relationship is stronger for raw fruit and vegetables than those consuming them cooked or canned (Brookie et al, 2018). While all of these findings were robust to adjustment for a large number of economic, social, and demographic variables, the main limitation (as pointed out by the authors) is that confounding remains possible when the data are cross-sectional
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