The US-based Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has welcomed a new study from the University of Oxford published in the European Heart Journal, indicating that greater fruit and vegetable consumption may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.
According to the study, people who consumed eight or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day were 22 per cent less likely to die from ischemic heart disease than those who consumed three or fewer servings each day.
Even among those who did not eat a full eight servings of produce each day, the more fruits and vegetables consumed consistently indicated a lower heart disease risk. For every additional serving above two per day, researchers found a 4 per cent decrease in the rate of heart disease deaths.
'The CDC says that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US,' said Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of PBH. 'Here is a scientific study that says Fruits & Veggies-More Matters should be taken very literally by showing that every added serving over two each day offers incremental benefits.'
Ms Pivonka was also quoted in an article earlier this week that appeared in USA Today, discussing strategies for getting children to consume more fruits and vegetables.
'Recent news reports, some mentioning the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters national public health initiative specifically, highlight how important it is to heart health to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables we all consume,' said Ms Pivonka. 'Join us in our mission to bring more Americans to better health by becoming a PBH donor, renewing your membership, or increasing your level of support.'
