A recent study carried out by researchers from University College London found that people who ate seven or more portions a day of fruit and vegetables had a 33% reduced risk of death compared with people who ate less than one portion. The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and can be downloaded from the journal’s website.
The study used information on more than 65,000 randomly selected adults who were participating in the Health Survey for England. This is an ongoing health survey that looks at health and lifestyle factors such as fruit and vegetable consumption. The researchers followed up participants for an average of 7.7 years after their initial participation.
The researchers found that eating fruit and vegetables was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, looking especially at deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The higher a person’s intake of fruit and vegetables, the greater the protective effects seemed to be.
In the study, people who consumed more fruit and vegetables were generally older, less likely to smoke, more likely to be women and have a higher standard of education.
In addition, the proportion of people who were vigorously active increased as more portions of fruit and vegetables were consumed, which highlights the importance of exercise in a healthy lifestyle.
In Ireland, as in the UK, the recommendation is: Eat plenty of different coloured vegetables, salad and fruit – at least five a day.
The results of this study do not contradict the “5 a day” message as 5 is the minimum recommended level. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, the more you eat, the better it is for you.
Many consumers aren’t sure what constitutes a portion – there is a very useful guide on the Safefood website which explains all the foods that make up one of the five a day, and the amount to eat of them.
Source: BordBia – Recent Research Confirms the Health Giving Properties of Fruit and Vegetables
