Eating 10 portions of fruit and veg a day have “major benefits” in reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and early death, a new study has said.
Researchers from Imperial College London came up with the figure, which is double the current daily recommended intake of five a day, by analysing 95 studies on fruit and veg intake.
The study found that while eating five portions does reduce risk of disease, the greatest benefit came from eating 800g a day, or around 10 portions of roughly 80g a day.
Using data from 2 million people worldwide, it found that eating 10 portions of produce a day was linked with a 24 per cent reduced risk of heart disease, a 33 per cent reduced risk of stroke, a 28 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13 per cent reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31 per cent reduction in dying prematurely. This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating any fruit and vegetables.
Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the study also looked at which types of fruit and vegetables provided the greatest protection against disease.
Apples and pears, citrus, salads, brassicas and leafy veg were linked with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and early death. Green vegetables, such as spinach or green beans, yellow vegetables, such as peppers and carrots, and cruciferous vegetables were linked with reduced cancer risk.
Lead author Dr Dagfinn Aune said: 'Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system. This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.
“Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better.'
'Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial is health. This is why it is important to eat whole plant foods to get the benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements (which have not been shown to reduce disease risk).'
