Researchers at Queen’s have investigated the relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and psychological well-being, highlighting the potential role of diet in supporting long-term mental well-being. 

The study, led by Dr Alysha Thompson, found that higher consumption of flavonoid-rich foods, particularly fruits such as berries, apples and citrus fruits, was associated with a greater likelihood of sustained happiness and optimism over time. 

These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence linking diet quality and psychological well-being with long-term health outcomes.

Mental health disorders represent a major global health challenge. While  pharmacological and psychological treatments are essential, they can be resource-intensive and are not always accessible at a population level.

As a result, there’s increasing interest in identifying modifiable lifestyle factors that may support psychological well-being. Diet is one such factor, but the role of specific bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, in shaping well-being is not yet fully understood. 

Although flavonoids have been widely studied in relation to cardiovascular health and mortality risk, their relationship with psychological well-being has received comparatively less attention. This highlights an important gap in understanding how diet may contribute to mental well-being across the life course. 

Researchers at Queen’s examined the relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and psychological well-being using data from the Nurses’ Health Study, a large, long-running cohort of women in the United States. 

The study assessed flavonoid intake through dietary data and examined its association with key indicators of psychological well-being, specifically happiness and optimism.  

The findings showed that higher intake of flavonoid-rich foods, higher total flavonoid intake, and a higher flavonoid-rich dietary pattern were associated with a greater likelihood of sustained happiness and optimism over time.  

Importantly, the study also explored the relationship in the opposite direction. Women with higher baseline levels of happiness and optimism were more likely to maintain higher flavonoid intake over follow-up.  

Together, these findings suggest a bidirectional relationship between diet and psychological well-being, where healthier dietary patterns and positive well-being may reinforce one another over time. 

“Our findings suggest that what we eat may be linked not only to physical health, but also to how we feel over time. Diet and well-being appear to reinforce one another, highlighting the potential of simple dietary patterns to support long-term health.” 

- Dr Alysha Thompson

This research provides new insights into the relationship between diet and psychological well-being, suggesting that flavonoid-rich foods may play a role within broader lifestyle approaches to supporting mental well-being. The findings may help inform future research and public health strategies that consider diet as one component of promoting well-being across populations.  

They also highlight the potential for simple, accessible dietary patterns, particularly increased consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits such as berries, apples and citrus – to be explored further as part of integrated approaches to improving both physical and psychological health. 

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