Take 7 Helpings of Veggies and Fruits to Live Longer: Study

A new study has revealed that consuming seven helpings of fruits and vegetables daily will reduce the risk of dying from cancer and heart diseases.

Till now the WHO has been recommending that people eat five portions of vegetables and fruits to live longer. But after the new study, people have to make an extra effort to increase their daily servings of veggies and fruits.

University College London researchers found that people who consumed seven or more portions of veggies and fruits daily cut down the chance of death by 42 per cent compared to those who had only one.

They said that seven portions daily were effective in cutting down a person's chance of dying of cancer by 25 per cent and of heart disease by 31 per cent.

They also found that fresh vegetables were more effective in protecting you, followed by salad and then fruit.

Study's lead author Dr Oyinlola Oyebode of UCL's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health said, "The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age."

It was also found that those who restricted the intake to one to three servings were 14 per cent less likely to die; those who ate three to five servings had 29 per cent less chance to die and those with five to seven helpings had 36 per cent less chance to die, compared to those who ate less than one serving.

In an eye-opening revelation, the study said each serving of canned or frozen fruit only increased the chance of death by 17 per cent. Dr Oyebode said fruits and vegetables protects against diseases as they contained antioxidants which repair damaged cells.

But some experts said the work was not conclusive and that other lifestyle factors may have affected the results.

Source: Medindia