Five Servings of THIS Add Years to Life

Five Servings of THIS Add Years to Life
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Eat fruits five times a day- this is the recipe for longer life, according to science.

 

Diet analysts gained this piece of wisdom by collecting data from more than 2 million Americans and others, concluding that introducing five fruit and vegetable servings in our daily life had a direct link to the lowest rate of premature death. The perfect combo was two fruit meals and three vegetable meals every day.

What Happens if You Eat Less than Five?

The stats don’t lie – the people eating only two servings of vegetables and fruits per day instead of five are more prone to:

  • die sooner from all causes by 13% more chances.
  • die from a heart condition by 12% more chances.
  • die from cancer by 10% more chances.
  • die from respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 35% more chances.

However, consuming more vegetables and fruits than the doctor asked was not linked to any extra benefits, as stated in the study published March 1 in the journal Circulation.

Easy-peasy to Eat Healthily, or not?

Being this healthy by eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetable is no easy work, the scientists declare. Even if we have a favorite fruit or vegetable in mind right now, only 1 in 10 adults are persistent in this goal, says U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study author Dr. Dong Wang, epidemiologist and nutritionist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, declared:

“While groups like the American Heart Association recommend four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables daily, consumers likely get inconsistent messages about what defines optimal daily intake of fruits and vegetables such as the recommended amount, and which foods to include and avoid.”

Not all Fruits and Vegetables Help you Live Longer 

Along with the previous findings, researchers found out that not all fruits and vegetables had the same degree of ‘functionality’ in reducing death risks or some of the ‘ugliest’ chronic diseases. For example, spinach, lettuce, kale, and other green leafy vegetables, along with fruits and vegetables abundant in beta carotene and vitamin C, are marked as ‘useful’ in the study. On the other side, starchy vegetables (peas and corn), potatoes, and fruit juices didn’t record an improvement in statistics.

The researchers decided that “not all fruits and vegetables offer the same degree of benefit, even though current dietary recommendations generally treat all types of fruits and vegetables, including starchy vegetables, fruit juices and potatoes, the same,” Wang responded.

“Overall, the findings support the evidence-based public health messages that people should have five servings of fruits and vegetables a day”, according to Wang. 

He also added:

“This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public”


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Katherine is just getting her start as a journalist. She attended a technical school while still in high school where she learned a variety of skills, from photography to nutrition. Her enthusiasm for both natural and human sciences is real so she particularly enjoys covering topics on medicine and the environment.

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