Remember the jingle “Happy Little Vegemites”? Turns out they’re happy for a reason.
New research by Victoria University’s College of Health and Biomedicine has found people who regularly eat yeast-based spreads like Vegemite are less likely to experience anxiety and stress compared to those who skip the stuff. Oh happy day!
The study surveyed more than 500 people from Australia, New Zealand and the UK. They were asked whether they ate yeast-based spreads, how often and which brands. Those that did then had their moods monitored by a validated psychological tool.
But how can your fave toast pairing affect your mood? Well, it could be linked to the amount of B vitamins contained in yeast-based products, according to lead researcher Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos.
“We know these extracts contain some of the world’s richest sources of B vitamins, which are essential in keeping our bodies energised and regulating the nervous system,” Apostolopoulos said.
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“Those who ate spreads that contained B12, which includes Marmite and the new Vegemite with the orange lid, were even less stressed and anxious than those who ate the other brands,” she added.
Experts have been quick to point out that the methodology of the study fails to account for other things going on in the lives of survey respondents, such as different diets and lifestyles apart from yeast spread intake.
Still, we never need an excuse to have our Vegemite.
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