We all know it’s important to eat your fruits and veggies! A new study found that doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat every day significantly reduces your risk of disease.
The meta-analysis done by Imperial College London analyzed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake. The study included up to 2 million people and assessed tens of thousands of cases of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death.
The research team estimates that approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year if people ate 10 portions, or 800 grams, of fruits and vegetables a day. Image credit
Eating up to 800 grams of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of heart disease; a 13 percent reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31 percent reduction in dying prematurely. This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating fruits and vegetables.
To put 800 grams in perspective, an 80-gram portion of fruits and vegetables equals approximately one small banana, apple, or pear, or three tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Fruits and vegetables are known to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of the immune system. This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold, which is not easy to recreate in a pill and is why it’s so important to eat whole foods to get the nutritional benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements.
If you’re just getting started on eating healthy, don’t fret— the researchers found that there was still a significant benefit in disease prevention in eating the currently prescribed five portions of fruits and veggies a day. The results revealed that even a daily intake of 200g was associated with a 16 percent reduced risk of heart disease, an 18 percent reduced risk of stroke, and a 13 percent reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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