Eating five daily portions of fruit and vegetables can lower risk of death from any cause, particularly heart disease and stroke, finds an analysis of the available evidence, published on the bmj.com.
These results conflict with a recent study published in BMJ's Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggesting that seven or more daily portions of fruits and vegetables were linked to lowest risk of death.
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There is growing evidence that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is related to a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the results are not entirely consistent.
So a team of researchers based in China and the United States decided to examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer deaths.
![Benefits of Dietary Fibre]( "Benefits of Dietary Fibre")
Eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day takes care of the fiber your system needs to a large extent.
They analysed the results of sixteen studies involving a total of 833,234 participants and 56,423 deaths. Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias. Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was significantly associated with a lower risk of death from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular diseases.
Average risk of death from all causes was reduced by 5% for each additional daily serving of fruit and vegetables, while risk of cardiovascular death was reduced by 4 percent for each additional daily serving of fruit and vegetables.
But the researchers identified a threshold around five servings per day, after which the risk of death did not reduce further.
In contrast, higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was not appreciably associated with risk of death from cancer. The researchers suggest that, as well as advice to eat adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables, the adverse effects of obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and high alcohol intake on cancer risk should be further emphasised.
The researchers say their study "provides further evidence that a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of mortality from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular diseases. The results support current recommendations to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables to promote health and longevity."
Source: Eurekalert
Benefits of Dietary Fibre
Eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day takes care of the fiber your system needs to a large extent.
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They analysed the results of sixteen studies involving a total of 833,234 participants and 56,423 deaths. Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias. Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was significantly associated with a lower risk of death from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular diseases.
Average risk of death from all causes was reduced by 5% for each additional daily serving of fruit and vegetables, while risk of cardiovascular death was reduced by 4 percent for each additional daily serving of fruit and vegetables.
But the researchers identified a threshold around five servings per day, after which the risk of death did not reduce further.
In contrast, higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was not appreciably associated with risk of death from cancer. The researchers suggest that, as well as advice to eat adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables, the adverse effects of obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and high alcohol intake on cancer risk should be further emphasised.
The researchers say their study "provides further evidence that a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of mortality from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular diseases. The results support current recommendations to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables to promote health and longevity."
Source: Eurekalert
Eat Your Way to Good Health
A balanced diet is the cornerstone of good health. With diabetes, obesity, heart ailments rapidly emerging as a major health challenge we really need to look into our lifestyles.
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 Juices for Detoxification and Well-beingFreshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices can work wonders for the body and mind. Winters are the best time to benefit from the nutrient rich fresh green, red, orange fruits and vegetables. | Advertisement
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