Eating five servings a day of each combination of fruits and vegetables can prolong life, according to a new study.
An analysis of data from more than 100,000 health workers followed for three decades found that participants who drank five servings of fruits and vegetables five times a day had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes compared to those who ate just two servings a day, according to the report published in Circulation.
“Most Americans have a very low intake – one serving of fruits and one and a half servings of vegetables – per day,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Dong Wang, a member of the faculty of medicine at Harvard University and Brigham and said. Women’s Hospital in Boston. ‘Eating at least five servings a day carries the least risk. Those five can be translated into two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables a day. ”
Although more than it can eat healthy, it will not increase your lifespan, Wang said. He also noted that not all fruits and vegetables have the same life-prolonging value. “Starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, and fruit juices are not as beneficial,” he explained.
To take a closer look at the impact of fruits and vegetables on longevity, Wang and his colleagues pointed to data from 66,719 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and 42,016 men signed on to the Health Professionals Follow -up Study (HPFS)). Dietary information came from a baseline questionnaire completed by participants in both studies, which was updated every two to four years.
During 30 years of follow-up, 18,793 women in the NHS died and during 28 years of follow-up, 15,105 men died in the HPFS. When the researchers analyzed the nutritional data, taking into account factors such as age, BMI, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, smoking status and alcohol use, they found that five servings per day of fruits and vegetables were associated with a 13% lower risk of death due to all causes in compared to two servings a day.
More specifically, five daily servings were associated with a 12% reduced risk of dying from heart disease, a 10% reduced risk of dying from cancer, and a 35% lower risk of dying from respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD).
Experts welcomed the study and gave advice on how to increase the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Vaani Panse Garg noted that the study had some limitations, including that the participants were all health workers and that they would therefore eat more healthily and exercise more than the average American.
Nevertheless, the finding that five servings a day improves life expectancy is likely to apply to everyone, said Garg, an assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine and a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Morningside.
While fresh fruits and vegetables may be the best choice, not everyone has easy access to, or can afford, these foods, Garg said. Therefore, she regularly suggests canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. The advantage of frozen vegetables over cans is that they are less likely to add sodium, Garg said. With frozen and canned fruits, you want to make sure there are no sugars, she said.
One way to add frozen fruit to the diet is to place it in smoothies, Garg said, adding that some vegetables, such as spinach, can be tossed into a smoothie without taking away the flavor.
Garg suggests that patients buy separate plates with one portion dedicated to vegetables and possibly another to fruits. “It clearly shows when you miss the vegetables,” she said.
Dr. Aryan Aiyer emphasizes the importance of developing healthy eating habits. “Once habits are formed, you tend to do it without thinking much about it,” he said.
First, “when you go shopping, make sure you do not walk away from the grocery store with something that is bad for you,” said Aiyer, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and medical director of the UPMC, said. Heart and Vascular Institute’s lipid clinic. “Once it’s in the house, you’re going to snack on it.”
Aiyer suggests buying fruits, such as cantaloupe or honeydew melons, and cutting them up immediately so that they are available quickly and easily. “It’s much better than just putting it in the fridge and waiting for the opportunity to cut it up,” he added.
For those with jam-packed schedules, Aiyer suggests using steaming vegetables. “It only takes 15 minutes to steam a bag of sprouts, and after a while it becomes a habit to have vegetables at every meal,” he said.
