New study says seven portions of fruits and vegetables daily may reduce risk of dying

Friday, May 02, 2014 by: Raw Michelle
Tags: fruits, vegetables, mortality risk

(NaturalNews) A new study says that vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of dying. While people have always known about the health benefits of eating such foods, what's important here is that the amount of veggies and fruits is what may help people live longer. Specifically, the researchers involved in the University of London study said that people who eat seven portions of fresh fruit and vegetables every day might be able to slash their risk of dying by up to 42 percent.

The eating habits of over 65,000 people were tracked for 12 years and compared to people who ate less than one portion of fruits and vegetables daily; those eating seven portions were shown to have a 25 percent lower risk of death from cancer and a 31 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The findings, which were reported in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, state, "A robust inverse association exists between fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality, with benefits seen in up to 7+ portions daily."

Seven portions of fruits and vegetables: is it too much?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a 30-year-old male who gets about 30-60 minutes of exercise daily requires 2 cups of fruit and 3.5 cups of vegetables daily, less than the findings of this new study. However, it's important to note that requirements vary based on age, gender, exercise level and dietary requirements/preferences.

Some people take issue with consuming excessive amounts of fruits and vegetables, indicating that it may lead to weight gain. Many individuals tend to gravitate more toward fruits than vegetables, which could be problematic. Fitness expert Dr. Melina Jampolis says that "fruit has almost three times the calories per serving as nonstarchy vegetables." So it's necessary to pay attention to the balance of these portions.

However, for many mono-fruiters like Freelee, "the banana girl" who is known for her "30 bananas a day" approach, this news is likely music to their ears. Several people have enjoyed the benefits of eating large quantities of fruits in particular, including people who say they have cleared their acne by consuming a great deal of apples regularly.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.thestar.com

http://jech.bmj.com

http://rawandnaturalhealth.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle