Want to live a longer life? Then you'd better start eating those fruits and veggies. Scientists have discovered that eating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day can reduce your death risk at any age by 42 percent compared to eating less than one portion.
In order to find out exactly how eating fruits and vegetables would impact health, the researchers analyzed information from more than 65,000 people in England from the age of 35 and older. These volunteers answered questions about their eating habits. This, in turn, revealed that those who ate more fruit and vegetables were less likely to die than those who didn't eat greens.
Yet not all vegetables and fruit are created equal, according to Saga. It turns out that fresh or dried fruit is best; tinned and frozen fruit, in contrast, actually increases the risk of death by 17 percent. In addition, salad particularly was useful in lowering death risk; it contributed to a 13 percent risk reduction per portion, according to the Financial Express. Currently, researchers aren't quite sure why this particular correlation exists.
"The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age," said Oyinlola Oyebode, the lead author of the study, in an interview with Saga. "Vegetables have a larger effect than fruit, but fruit still makes a real difference. 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 findings reveal the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables. By cutting out sweet snacks and instead replacing them with healthier food options, you could potentially expand your life.
"The best advice is to eat sensibly and try to eat healthily," said Ben Jane, program leader for the University of St. Mark, in an interview with the Plymouth Herald. "When you go shopping make a list and try to stick to eat. Make bigger meals and freeze what you don't need."
