Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables are key to a longer life.
Fresh organic foods are packed with antioxidants and unique nutrients that can keep the immune system in top shape. The nutrients in these organic foods can also help prevent and treat disease.
We have already seen how eating more organic fruits and vegetables daily may reduce the risk of stroke. However, most Americans do not include these foods in their diet.
ABC News reports: “Overall, about a third of American adults ate at least two servings of vegetables daily during 2009, and about a fourth consumed at least three servings of vegetables daily.”
Dr. Mercola, a leading physician and health & nutrition expert believes that these foods are essential to our health. “Only about 26 percent of U.S. adults are eating three or more servings of vegetables a day,” Mercola said. “If you are in the majority who is not, you are missing out on major benefits, as consuming fresh vegetables is one of the key cornerstones to optimal health.”
Research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows that eating five daily portions of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risk of premature death from any disease or cause.
There is evidence building up that fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, but the results have not been consistent.
A team of researchers from the U.S. and China aimed to clear up the association between fruits and vegetables and risk of death and find consistent evidence.
They performed an analysis of sixteen studies including a total of 833,234 participants and 56,423 deaths. They accounted for the differences in study procedures and quality to ensure that there was no bias. The study found that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables was “significantly associated with a lower risk of all cause mortality.”
The risk of death average from all diseases was reduced by 5% with every additional serving of fruits and vegetables. Death from heart disease was reduced by 4% with each serving.
However, the researchers did find a ceiling of five servings a day, after which the risk of death was not reduced. These findings do conflict with research published in BMJ’s Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, which shows that eating seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce risk of death from all causes.
In contrast, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day was not as significantly associated with the risk of death from cancer. The team suggests that, in addition to a healthy diet, the effects of obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and high alcohol consumption on cancer risk should be stressed as well.
The research team believes that 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.”
AS ALWAYS: Check with your health practitioner before you change your diet. These organic foods are not meant to replace any treatment or drugs you are taking.
Eating more fruits and vegetables may reduce stroke risk.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: Systematic Review and Dose-response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.” The BMJ. British Medical Journal, 29 July 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
“Five Daily Portions of Fruit and Vegetables May Be Enough to Lower Risk of Early Death.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 July 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
3. “Most Americans Skip Fruits and Vegetables.” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, 02 Oct. 2010. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
4. “Most Americans Still Skip Fruits and Vegetables.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 09 Sept. 2010. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
5. “Eating Vegetables Lowers Your Risk of Dying Prematurely.” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
6. “Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and All-cause, Cancer and CVD Mortality: Analysis of Health Survey for England Data.” Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. BMJ, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
