Eating 10 Portions, Not 5, Of Fruits Or Vegetables Could Reduce The Risk Of Heart Attack, Cancer

The "five a day" rule of eating vegetables or fruit is good. On the other hand, a new study indicates that eating 10 portions of fruits or vegetables in a day is even better.

The increase in consumption could likely reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack or cancer. This could lessen the person's risk of having a stroke by a third. Meanwhile, the risk of heart disease could be lowered by about 24 percent, according to The Telegraph.

A portion is about 80 grams that are equivalent to an apple or three heaped tablespoons of peas. In the U.K., people eat five portions of fruits or vegetables in one day. In the U.S., it is higher with about eight to 10 portions in a day, according to New Scientist.

The research involved analyzing data from 95 studies about fruit and vegetable intake. It was led by researchers from Imperial College London. The team aims to know what a person needs to eat to have the maximum protection against diseases.

Dr. Dagfinn Aune, the lead author from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said they wanted to investigate how much fruits and vegetables people need to eat to gain the maximum protection against diseases and premature deaths. He further said that the result shows that although five portions of fruit and vegetables are good, 10 a day is even better. He added that fruits and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and boost the health of the blood vessels and immune system.

The team also discovered that pears, citrus fruits, apples, as well as green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower may prevent stroke, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and early death. Likewise, eating green vegetables like spinach or green beans, yellow vegetables such as carrots and peppers and cruciferous vegetables could reduce the risk of cancer.