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Eating five servings a day of any combination of fruits and vegetables could extend your life, suggests a new study.
Analysis of data from more than 100,000 healthcare professionals who were followed for up to three decades found that participants who ate five servings per day of fruits and vegetables had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes. that of those who consumed only two servings per day, according to the report published in Circulation.
“Most Americans eat very little – one serving of fruit 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 the Harvard and Brigham University and Boston Women’s Hospital. “Eating about five servings a day was associated with the lower risk of death. These five servings can be translated into two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day.
While eating more than that might be healthy, it won’t increase your longevity much, Wang said. He also noted that not all fruits and vegetables have the same shelf-life value. “Starchy vegetables like 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 her colleagues turned to data from 66,719 women enrolled in the Nursing Health Study (NHS) and 4,2016 men enrolled in the ‘health professionals follow-up study (HPFS). Dietary information was taken from a baseline questionnaire completed by participants in both studies, which was updated every two to four years.
During the 30 years of follow-up 18,793 NHS women died and during 28 years of follow-up 15,105 HPFS men died. When the researchers analyzed the dietary data, taking into account factors such as age, BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, and alcohol consumption, they found that five servings per day fruits and vegetables were associated with a 13% lower risk. mortality from all causes compared to two servings per day.
Specifically, five daily servings were associated with a 12% decrease in the risk of dying from heart disease, a 10% decrease in the risk of dying from cancer, and a 35% decrease in the risk of dying from respiratory diseases. , such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). .
Experts welcomed the study and offered advice on how to increase the daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
Dr Vaani Panse Garg noted that the study has some limitations, the main one being that the participants were all medical professionals and therefore more likely to already eat healthier and exercise more than the average American. .
Still, the finding that five servings a day improves life expectancy can probably apply to everyone, said Garg, assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine and 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. That’s why she often suggests canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. The advantage of frozen vegetables over canned vegetables is that they are less likely to have added sodium, Garg said. With frozen and canned fruit, you want to make sure there aren’t any added sugars, she says.
One way to add frozen fruit to the diet is to put it in smoothies, Garg said, adding that some vegetables, such as spinach, can be tossed into a smoothie without altering the flavor.
Garg often suggests that patients purchase partitioned plates with a section dedicated to vegetables and possibly one to fruit. “It clearly shows when you are missing the vegetables,” she says.
Dr Aryan Aiyer stresses the importance of developing healthy eating habits. “Once habits are formed, you tend to do them without thinking too much about it,” he says.
First, “when shopping, make sure you don’t walk away from the grocery store with something that’s bad for you,” said Aiyer, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. and medical director of UPMC. Heart and Vascular Institute Lipid Clinic. “Once he gets in the house, you’re going to snack on him.”
Aiyer suggests buying fruit, such as cantaloupe or honeydew melons, and cutting them immediately, so that they are available for a quick and easy snack. “It’s much better than just putting it in the fridge and waiting for a chance to cut it up,” he added.
For those with busy schedules, Aiyer suggests steaming vegetables. “It only takes 15 minutes to steam a bag of Brussels sprouts and after a while it becomes a habit to have vegetables with every meal,” he says.
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