10 a Day
A fruit and vegetable intake above five-a-day shows major benefit in reducing the chance of heart attack, stroke, cancer and early death. This is the findings of new research according to a team of scientists at Imperial College London. The study found that even though the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduced disease risk, the greatest benefits came from eating 800g a day, which roughly equals 10 portions of fruit and vegetables.
The team were also able to identify specific fruit and vegetables that reduced the risk of cancer and heart disease, the conclusions were based on pooling data from 95 separate studies involving two million people’s eating habits. Lower risks of cancer were linked to eating green veg such as spinach, yellow veg such as peppers and cruciferous veg like cauliflower and broccoli. Lower risks of heart disease and strokes were linked to eating apples, pears, citrus fruits, salads and leafy green vegetables.
The results, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also assessed the risk of dying before your time.
Compared with eating no fruit or veg a day, it showed:
200g cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13% while 800g cut the risk by 28%
200g cut the risk of cancer by 4%, while 800g cut the risk by 13%
200g cut the risk of a premature death by 15%, while 800g cut the risk by 31%
This research supports the idea that the more fruit and veg you eat the better – and at least up to 10 portions a day. It also suggests that the number of people who die early might be reduced if they ate more than the current recommended daily amount of five-a-day.
If you’re part of the majority who struggle to get their five-a-day, try our cold-pressed juices! They are the easiest way to naturally top up your daily dose of nutrients. Made with plenty of fruits and vegetables, never heat treated with no added nasties so they provide the same benefits that getting a ‘physical’ 5-a-day into your diet.
Get more tips and advice here on how to make it part of your daily life.
