There’s no doubt that we need to include vegetables and fruit in our diet, but research shows that doubling our intake could have improved health outcomes, writes Maggie Charlesworth
For more than 20 years, five has been the golden number when it comes to how much fruit and veg we should eat — a target many still struggle to meet. But in February this year, research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology prompted the inevitable headlines when it reported that eating 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day was associated with a lower risk of early death from diseases such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
The research, based on a meta-analysis (an analysis of existing research), led by Dr Dagfinn Aune of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, had looked at the association between disease risk and specific fruits and vegetables; finding that cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower), green vegetables (e.g. spinach and green beans), and yellow vegetables (e.g. peppers and carrots) may reduce cancer risk. In the case of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease and early death, a lower risk was associated with eating fruits and vegetables including cruciferous vegetables, apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and chicory.
But as for 10 servings being some kind of dietary Holy Grail, this number was in fact due to research limitations — because no studies examining the benefits of more than 10 portions were available.
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