No time, no desire, no means… Not everyone can cook their own meals at home. And yet, the kitchen is full of benefits, both for the body and for the mind. A recent study by researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) and published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition shows that this activity could improve the mental and physical health of those who engage in it. And this, even if you do not eat your preparations…Explanations.
To carry out their research, the researchers were able to count on the partnership between their university and a program to learn to cook called The Good Foundation. Between 2016 and 2018, 657 participants participated in a seven-week program to learn how to cook healthy. Two-thirds were overweight. At the same time, specialists “measured the effect of the program on participants’ cooking confidence and perceived mental health, as well as overall satisfaction with cooking and food-related behaviors”describes the study.
Results? Volunteers who completed the program “saw significant improvements in their general health, mental health, and subjective vitality immediately after the program.” These benefits remained six months after the program ended.
Cooking is good for morale
This improvement can be explained by a change in diet. According to a previous study, eating more fruits and vegetables would improve mental health in the longer term. However, “participants’ mental health had improved despite the fact that their diets had not changed after completing the program”explains the study. “This suggests a link between cooking confidence and satisfaction around cooking and mental health benefits”, explains in a press release Dr. Reesprincipal investigator of the study.
(ETX Daily Up)