[ad_1]
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Five is your new lucky number.
This is the number of servings of fruits and vegetables you need to eat each day to live the longest., according to a new study published by the American Heart Association which analyzed data representing nearly 2 million adults worldwide.
Two of those five servings should be fruit – the other three should focus on vegetables, according to the study.
“This amount probably offers the most benefits in terms of preventing major chronic diseases and is a relatively achievable contribution for the general public,” said lead author Dr Dong Wang, epidemiologist and nutritionist at Harvard Medical School. and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, in a statement.
There were differences in the benefits, however, depending on the fruit or vegetable in question.
“We also found that not all fruits and vegetables provide the same level of benefit, although current dietary recommendations generally address all types of fruits and vegetables, including starches, juices, and apples. of land, the same way, ”Wang said.
Peas, corn, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, for example, were not associated with a reduced risk of specific death or chronic disease.
Green leafy vegetables high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, such as spinach, green leafy lettuce, and kale, as well as carrots, have shown benefits.
In the fruit category, fruits rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C, such as berries of all kinds and citrus fruits, have also helped reduce the risk of death and chronic disease. However, fruit juices did not. Previous research has shown that it is the fiber from the whole fruit that is the key to all the benefits.
“The body of evidence from the study should convince healthcare professionals to promote consumption of more fruits and vegetables as a key dietary strategy, and for citizens to adopt it,” wrote Dr Naveed. Sattar and Dr Nita Forouhi in an accompanying editorial to publish in April.
The biggest gains may come from encouraging those who rarely eat fruits or vegetables, as a diet rich in even slightly higher fruits and vegetables is beneficial.
–Dr. Naveed Sattar and Dr Nita Forouhi
Sattar is a professor at the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow; Forouhi heads the Nutritional Epidemiology program of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. Neither was involved in the new study.
“The biggest gains may come from encouraging those who rarely eat fruits or vegetables, because a diet rich in even slightly higher fruits and vegetables is beneficial,” they wrote.
Association, no cause and effect
The study, published Monday in the AHA journal Circulation, was large and in two parts. The first was an analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Medical Professionals Follow-up Study, which followed more than 100,000 American men and women for up to 30 years. All participants completed a questionnaire on eating habits at the start of the studies; these questionnaires were updated every two to four years. This information was then compared to health and death records collected during long-term studies.
The second part of the study was a meta-analysis of pooled data from 26 studies covering nearly 2 million participants from 29 countries and territories in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and South America. North and South. These studies also compared self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption with death rates.
People who ate five servings per day of fruits and vegetables had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause than people who ate only two servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Eating five servings was also associated with a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.
They also had a 10% lower risk of death from cancer and a 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, than those who ate only two servings, according to the study.
5 servings only?
Oddly enough, the study found no benefit in extending life by eating more than five servings per day of fruits and vegetables, which is contrary to previous research on animals and humans.
A 2017 study found a significant reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and premature death by eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Animal studies have found much weaker immune responses in animals that were fed two to three servings of fruits and vegetables per day than animals that ate five to nine servings per day.
“The eight to nine servings per day were where we saw the best effect (on immunity),” said study author Dr Simin Meydani, senior scientist and head of the immunology team. nutrition from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University. Aging.
Meydani pointed out that the new study relied on self-reported food intake, which relies on participants’ ability to remember and be honest in recording what they ate. Therefore, the new study could only show an association between five servings and better health – not a cause and effect.
“It is primarily based on observational studies and dietary intake reports, which I don’t believe have the sensitivity to differentiate and identify the exact dose needed,” said Meydani, who was not involved. in the study.
“In order to recommend that five servings of fruits and vegetables is the best dose, they will need to do a randomized controlled trial examining either disease outcomes or health biomarkers, which has not been done systematically.” , said Meydani.
Few of us eat our fruits and vegetables
Dietary guidelines state that adult women should eat at least 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day. Men need more – 2 cups of fruit and 3.5 cups of vegetables per day.
Yet only 9% of American adults eat the suggested servings of vegetables, and only 12% eat the recommended amount of fruit, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The American Heart Association recommends filling at least half of your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal,” said Dr. Anne Thorndike, who chairs the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee, in a statement.
“This research provides strong evidence for the lifelong benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and suggests a target amount to consume daily for ideal health,” added Thorndike, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you usually eat per day?
The-CNN-Wire ™ and © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Related stories
Other stories that might interest you
[ad_2]
Source link