Do you want happy and healthy life? Eat veggies!

For a long time, we all have been heard how vegetables are good for health. It is highly recommend to have fruits and vegetables regularly.

But how specifically do they make us healthier?

A new study  reveals that vegetables improve not only physical health but also psychological health by increasing optimistic level, and as we know, psychological well being is closely associated with physical well being.

Veggies by Danny. O via Flicker Creative Commons

According to a recent research done by Dr. Boehem at Harvard School of Public Health, people having three or more servings of  fruits and vegetables a day showed significantly higher level of carotenoid in blood than people having less than two servings of fruits and vegetables. Carotenoid , which is rich in vegetables, is a type of antioxidant which is well known for preventing some forms of heart disease and cancer. 

Interestingly, this higher level of carotenoid is also associated with  more optimistic thinking. Optimism ultimately leads to longer and healthier lives as it lowers cancer heart disease, and other chronic disease rates. 

The fact that more optimistic people showed tendency of engaing in healthier behavior such as eating fruits and vegetables and avoiding cigarette smoking, Dr. Boehem’s study only partially explains the relationship between optimism and level of carotenoid.

However, Dr. Boehem indicated that even though optimism level and carotenoid level cannot be conclusively determined, this finding is a promising association.

A specific example of showing how veggie may help people to be more optimistic is effect of tomatoes. Researchers analyzed that tomato rich diet lowers the chances of suffering depression.

Tomatoes by Sean Duan via Flicker Creative Commons

Researchers analyzed that tomato rich diet lowers the chances of suffering depression. This research showed high level of antioxidant chemicals in tomatoes reduces oxidative stress and damage to healthy brain cells, and consequently promotes both psychological and physiological health. According to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders  , people eating tomatoes two to six times a week had 46% lower chance of suffering depression than people who eating less than once a week.

Both mental and physical health are critical for our lives.                                               A long stressful and depressed life or happy but short life is not what we want to live.

Healthy and optimistic life can be easily achieved. Eat veggies!!