Five a day increases your chances of a longer and healthier life!
“This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public.”
Dr Dong Wang, epidemiologist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, commenting on findings in a study, March 2020.
Did you know that up to a third of all cancer cases could be prevented just by more people choosing to adapt their long-term eating habits according to research? As everything is interrelated, this also means that the same diet can also reduce the risk of, for example, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and premature ageing. Many people have realised that there are lots of health benefits to be had from a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole-grain products and healthy fats from, for example, olive oil, avocados, nuts and fatty fish, in addition to the modest consumption of low-fat dairy products, red meat and charcuterie products. However, despite the numerous health benefits, many of which are extremely impressive, many people may find this difficult to achieve due to the overwhelming amount of conflicting information and unrealistic treatments, diets and trends available.
Five a day had the best results
How much fruit and veg do you really need to eat in order to get the health benefits? An exciting study from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , which was led by Dr Wang, has shown that eating five fruits and vegetables a day, ideally consisting of two fruits and three vegetables, increases your chances of leading both a healthier and a longer life. The people who ate this amount had the lowest risk of death and a 13 percent lower risk of general death, 12 percent lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, and 10 percent lower risk of death due to cancer than did those who ate only two fruits and vegetables a day. This comprehensive study consisted of two parts. In part one, they looked at data from the extensive Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which consisted of 100,000 American women and men. This data was then merged with 26 other studies conducted on over two million people around the world. The results show that getting your five a day really doesn’t have to be very difficult. This study can therefore be extremely inspiring for people who want to eat more fruit, berries and vegetables, as it feels like a realistic goal that they can achieve. The results are also in line with what, for example, the Swedish National Food Agency recommends: 500 grams or five large handfuls of fruit and vegetables a day for everyone over 10 years of age.
“We also found that not all fruits and vegetables offer the same degree of benefit, even though current dietary recommendations generally treat all types of fruits and vegetables, including starchy vegetables, fruit juices and potatoes, the same.”
Dr Dong Wang, epidemiologist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, commenting on findings in a study, March 2020.
Some fruits, berries and vegetables get star status!
Fruit, berries and vegetables contain a number of important nutrients that our bodies need in order to be able to function optimally. For example, fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin B9, minerals such as calcium and, in particular, important fibres. The gastrointestinal tract needs fibre to promote the “good” intestinal bacteria, which has proven itself to be increasingly important to our health, although too many people don’t eat enough of it. Interestingly enough, some fruit and vegetables have demonstrated an extra health-promoting effect. This is particularly true of leafy vegetables, such as spinach and green kale, fruit that is rich in vitamin C, such as lemons, limes and oranges, fruit and vegetables with a high level of beta-carotene, such as carrots and cantaloupe melons, and berries that are rich in fibre and antioxidants. However, fruit juice and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, have less of a health-promoting effect. Foods that are rich in starch contain many important nutrients, such as fibre, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B, and they have an important place on our plates. However, as part of a meal, they are considered as carbohydrates along with rice and pasta, and should not be counted as one of your five a day. Furthermore, when it comes to fruit, berries and vegetables in general, it doesn’t matter whether you eat fresh, frozen or canned varieties as long as no unwanted substances have been added. The best strategy is to eat a wide variety of food in order to benefit from many different nutrients and to make your plate as colourful as possible.
Easy ways to eat more fruit and vegetables:
Make sure your fruit bowl is visible and accessible
Pre-washed leafy vegetables such as rocket, kale or spinach can be added immediately to any meal and require no preparation time. For children, you can add a little melon or some berries.
For dinner, a salad consisting of a couple of vegetables and fruit can be whipped up in just a few minutes.
A packet of carrots can be peeled and stored in a jar of water with a lid in the fridge for a couple of days, which are then quick and easy to use whenever you need.
Fruit salad is simple and tasty and provides an excellent meal variation.
Keeping a stock of frozen vegetables makes eating healthy easy when you’re short on time.
Vegetable soup or stew is an easy way to eat many different vegetables at once. Feel free to experiment and find one or two favourite recipes.
My advice:
The best way to eat more fruit and vegetables is to set a realistic goal and start from where you currently are. For example, if you eat almost no fruit or vegetables, you can begin with incorporating a fruit or type of berry into your morning and a vegetable into your lunch and dinner. The next step may be adding fruit or berries to your breakfast, a vegetable to your lunch and two vegetables to your dinner, with a serving of fruit for a dessert. The best method is to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, and be sure to include your favourites.
