Eating kiwi can enhance mood and vitality in just four days, study finds

Kiwi versus supplements

Scientists who shared their findings in the British Journal of Nutrition, sifted through data from surveys filled out by participants during an eight-week diet "intervention study". The survey explored daily changes in vitality, mood, and overall well-being among 155 adults who initially had low levels of vitamin C.

The participants were given either a daily vitamin C supplement, a placebo, or two kiwis. They were asked to report their vitality, mood, sleep quality, the amount of sleep they had, and their physical activity through surveys. These responses were submitted via smartphones.

The study's results indicated that including kiwi in the diet improved vitality and mood within four days, with the benefits peaking after approximately 14-16 days. Notably, participants also displayed an improvement in the sphere of "flourishing" from the 14th day onwards. Interestingly, only marginal improvement was observed among participants who were only taking vitamin C supplements.

"The results of our study suggest that consuming kiwi, and to a lesser extent vitamin C supplementation, can enhance mood within a short span (from 4 to 16 days), even in a generally healthy population with a good mental health status. Whole food sources, like kiwi, demonstrated larger and more consistent improvements over time than vitamin C alone. The improvements were most noticeable in individuals who initially had consistently low levels of vitamin C," the researchers elaborated in their article.

The significant role of diet in one's well-being

The influence that diet can have on our health is becoming increasingly evident.

The study's lead author, Dr. Ben Fletcher, emphasized that even among individuals who initially had good mental health and theoretically had little room for improvement, significant benefits were observed from consuming either kiwi or vitamin C supplements. This fact underscores how quickly — in just a few days — our diet can impact our mental state, which effectively applies to everyone.