EATING FIVE DAILY PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF DEATH FROM ANY CAUSE
Eating five daily
portions of fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of death from
any cause, particularly from cardiovascular disease, but beyond five portions
appears to have no further effect, finds a new study.
These
results conflict with a recent study published inBMJ's Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health suggesting
that seven or more daily portions of fruits and vegetables were linked to
lowest risk of death.
There
is growing evidence that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is related
to a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the
results are not entirely consistent.
So
a team of researchers based in China and the United States decided to examine
the association between fruit and vegetable intake and risk of all-cause,
cardiovascular, and cancer deaths.
They
analysed the results of sixteen studies involving a total of 833,234
participants and 56,423 deaths. Differences in study design and quality were
taken into account to minimise bias. Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables
was significantly associated with a lower risk of death from all causes,
particularly from cardiovascular diseases.
Average
risk of death from all causes was reduced by 5% for each additional daily
serving of fruit and vegetables, while risk of cardiovascular death was reduced
by 4 percent for each additional daily serving of fruit and vegetables.
But
the researchers identified a threshold around five servings per day, after
which the risk of death did not reduce further.
In
contrast, higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was not appreciably
associated with risk of death from cancer. The researchers suggest that, as
well as advice to eat adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables, the adverse
effects of obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and high alcohol intake on
cancer risk should be further emphasized.
The researchers say
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."
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