How to Cheat Death: Eat Seven Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Daily

Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the United States, but two extra servings of fruits and vegetables can help you avoid these diseases. Seven servings of fruits and veggies a day can reduce the risk of any cause of death.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recommends a minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables daily--three of vegetables and two for fruit. The University College London recently conducted a comprehensive study involving over 65,000 people and their results suggest the minimum fruit and vegetable servings should be increased to seven.

Using data from the Health Survey for England, Oyinlola Oyebode and her research team found that seven-plus servings of fruits and vegetables per day reduced the risk of death in general by 42%. The data included 65,000 people over the course of seven and a half years, between 2001 and 2008.

The researchers examined mortality rates in general as well as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and premature death rates. Seven plus servings of fruits and vegetables were found to reduce the risk of death from cancer by 25% and heart disease by 31%. Even minimal consumption of these food groups revealed benefits. Those who consumed only 1-3 servings per day were 14% less likely to die.

Overall, vegetables had a greater positive effect than fruits. Fresh vegetables possessed the strongest protective effects, followed by salad and fruit. But both food groups contain antioxidants, micronutrients, and fiber, which are all important for maintaining good health, says Dr. Oyebode. A "serving" equates to about three ounces, or a large handful, an important measurement to keep in mind.

"Vegetables have a larger effect than fruit, but fruit still makes a real difference," she said in this Forbes article. If you're happy to snack on carrots or other vegetables, then that is a great choice but if you fancy something sweeter, a banana or any fruit will also do you good."

The researchers note that these findings do not require you to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. By noting the importance of these food groups, they hope people will realize how important fruits and vegetables are for the everyday diet. They suggest to eat as many servings as you can daily without being intimidated by the increased number of recommended servings.

To read more about the University College London study, visit this BBC News article.