Forget five a day, eat 10 portions of fruit and veg to cut risk of early deathScientists say even just 2.5 portions daily can lower chance

[BadHare]

Forget five a day, eat 10 portions of fruit and veg to cut risk of early death

Scientists say even just 2.5 portions daily can lower chance of heart disease, stroke, cancer and premature death

Five portions of fruit and veg a day is good for you, but 10 is much better and could prevent up to 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide every year, say scientists.

The findings of the study led by Imperial College London may dismay the two in three adults who struggle to manage three or four portions – perhaps some tomatoes in a sandwich at lunchtime, an apple and a few spoonfuls of peas at dinner.

All of that is good because a daily intake of even 200g, or two and a half standard 80g portions, is associated with a 16% reduced risk of heart disease, an 18% reduced risk of stroke, a 13% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, 4% reduced risk of cancer and a 15% reduction in the risk of premature death.

But the study suggests we should be piling up platefuls of vegetables and raiding the fruit bowl every day if we want the best chance of avoiding chronic diseases or an early death.

“We wanted to investigate how much fruit and vegetables you need to eat to gain the maximum protection against disease, and premature death. Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, 10 a day is even better,” said Dr Dagfinn Aune, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial.

Eating up to 800g of fruit and vegetables – equivalent to 10 portions and double the recommended amount in the UK – was associated with a 24% reduced risk of heart disease, a 33% reduced risk of stroke, a 28% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13% reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31% reduction in premature deaths.

And not all fruit and veg are created equal. Apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and chicory, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower were found to be best at preventing heart disease and stroke.

To reduce the risk of cancer, however, the menu should include green vegetables, such as green beans; yellow and orange vegetables such as peppers and carrots; and cruciferous vegetables.

The researchers did not find any difference between the protective effects of cooked and raw fruit and vegetables.

“Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system,” said Aune. “This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.”

Compounds called glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, activate enzymes that may help prevent cancer. Fruit and vegetables may also have a beneficial effect on the naturally occurring bacteria in our gut, he said.

And it will not be possible to bottle the effects of fruit and vegetables or put them in a pill, he said. Forget the supplements. “Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial to health,” he said. “This is why it is important to eat whole plant foods to get the benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements (which have not been shown to reduce disease risk).”

The analysis in the International Journal of Epidemiology pooled the results from 95 different studies involving a total of approximately 2 million people. They assessed up to 43,000 cases of heart disease, 47,000 cases of stroke, 81,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, 112,000 cancer cases and 94,000 deaths.

Aune said more research was needed, but “it is clear from this work that a high intake of fruit and vegetables hold tremendous health benefits, and we should try to increase their intake in our diet”.

Sarah Toule, from the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This interesting research shows just how incredibly important vegetables and fruit are as part of a healthy diet. In fact, they’re essential for maintaining a healthy weight, which our own evidence has shown reduces the risk of 11 common cancers.

“People should aim to eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day but the more the better. If people find this hard, why not start by adding an extra portion of fruit or veg a day to your lunch or try swapping one of your naughty snacks for a piece of fruit?”

[LostBear]

Thank you for all of the articles. You certainly know your nutrition!

I do try to cook from scratch most days, but sometimes I just haven't the energy - and then I eat rubbish because it's easier to open a packet than to start peeling and chopping. I've started cooking larger quantities so that we can eat one and freeze one. It's really handy, but again depends on my energy levels, and of course, my energy levels depend to a large degree on the food I eat.

Talk about a vicious circle!

[BadHare in reply to LostBear]

I get a lot of health related emails, & I like reading.

It is a vicious circle, but fortunately one that I've broken, though I've rarely relied on processed food, aside from vegetarian cupboard staple beans & always keeping some frozen veg for emergencies.

I try to have a few days a week when I make enough for four or five days. When I have really bad days/weeks, I'll rely on fresh fruit, kefir, nuts & seeds, & maybe take an additional supplement if I think I'm missing something important. I get two food deliveries a month which helps with organisation & ensuring I fill my fridge with fresh stuff & kefir food. Summers are easier as I mostly want to eat huge salads, beans, lentils or hummus every day, though there's been times when I've struggled to peel an orange or use a knife.

[andyswarbs in reply to LostBear]

lostbear, I cook a large pot once a week. We eat some and the rest goes into the fridge or freezer in meal size pots. Right now my freezer has around 6 meals for my wife and myself. Because it is not meat I have much fewer concerns over lifetime. We can defrost these quickly in the microwave. We can use them as a side dish as part of a bigger meal, say baked potatoes. Add a large bowl of fresh salad etc and meal prep for a whole week or more is done just once usually on Monday's.

[LostBear in reply to andyswarbs]

Thanks Andy - I love soups, especially lentil. I've given up meat for Lent, so I hope this will kickstart me again. I used to be veggie until about 6 years ago when I got fed up of cooking two different meals almost every day. Meat-eating can make you very lazy and unimaginative, as well as affecting your nutrition.

I fund the BBC Good Food site very helpful for recipes, but am open to any suggestions.

[BadHare in reply to LostBear]

This website's pretty good, if you can convert cup measurements to common sense. Not everything is healthy, though! onegreenplanet.org/vegan-re...

I like 101 cookbooks, & Nigel Slater &YottamOttolenghi's Weekend Guardian & Observer recipes.

[Zest]

Hi Mel,

I remember one of the researchers talking about this study on the news, when the study came out - and I was thrilled to hear the results - as I love veggies and try to eat as many as I can fit in.

So tasty, and nutritious and delicious. Yum!

Zest

[BadHare in reply to Zest]

The more veg the better, Zest !