London - Eating at least seven portions of fruit
and vegetables every day is healthier than the
publicised “five a day” and will make people
live longer, according to a new research
finding.
The Britain’s National Health Service had
recommended that every person in Britain
should try to have five different 80 gramme
portions of fruit and vegetables a day, based
on advice from the WHO.
However, in a new study published in the
Journal of Epidemiological and Community
Health, researchers found that an increase in
daily fruit and vegetable intake linked to lower
chances of death from stroke and cancer, and
could prolong lives.
The researchers from the University College
London examined the eating habits of 65,000
people in England between 2001 and 2008 and
found that people who ate seven or more
portions daily had a 42 per cent reduced risk
of death overall compared to those who had
just one.
They also found that fresh vegetables had the
strongest protective effect, followed by salad
and then fruit.
The researchers also discovered that vegetables
pack more of a protective punch than fruit.
It was discovered that people who ate canned
or frozen fruit had a higher risk of heart
disease, stroke and cancer.
The authors, however, argued that people
eating canned fruit could be living in areas
where there were no fresh fruit in the shops,
which could indicate a poorer diet.
“The clear message here is that the more fruit
and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are
to die at any age,” the Lead Author, Dr
Oyinlola Oyebode, said, adding that the size of
the effect was “staggering”.
However, eating a few portions a day was still
better than nothing, she added.
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