A recent study found out that eating at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day may decrease the risk of dying from stroke, cancer, or heart disease by as much as 42 percent.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University College London, looked into the eating habits of at least 65,000 people. The data used for the study was gleaned from the records of Health Survey for England for eight years. The researchers also considered other health factors such as smoking habits, lifestyle, and socio-economic background of the people.
They found out that eating at least seven portions of fresh vegetables and fruit everyday accounts to a 42 percent decreased risk in dying from terminal diseases. This eating habit was also linked to a 31 percent lower risk of developing heart disease or stroke, as well as a 25 percent lower risk of acquiring cancer.
The study challenges the prevailing notion that ideal servings of fruits and vegetables a day is five. France and Germany recommend the five a day eating habit while the United States advised the people to eat more fruits and vegetables. Australia, on the other hand, launched the "Go for 2+5" campaign in 2005 encouraging people to eat five 75g portions of vegetables and two 150g servings of fruit.
Study author, Dr. Oyinlola Oyebode, said that the best example to follow was the Australian guideline.
"I think it makes a lot of sense," she said in The Guardian. "It is aiming for more and the balance is two fruit and five veg. From our study it looks like vegetables are better than fruit. But I don't feel very strongly that the guidelines should be changed because the majority of people know they should eat five a day and only 25 percent manage that."
This study was published in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
