Upping Produce to “10 A Day” Drops Death Risk

A new study conducted by researchers at the Imperial College London (ICL) and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that increasing individual fruit and vegetable consumption to 10 portions per day greatly reduced the risk for a slew of diseases. ILC took on the World Health Organization’s standing recommendation of fresh produce consumption—five portions per day, which is the basis of the popular, multi-national “5 A Day” campaign—to investigate whether more servings would amount to improved health. The comprehensive study analyzed 95 separate nutrition studies—covering the dietary habits of more than two million participants—and found that ten servings of fresh fruit and vegetables amounted to a 13 percent decrease of cancer incidences, 24 percent reduced risk of heart disease, 33 percent decrease in risk of stroke, and an overall 31 percent decrease in premature deaths. Lead researcher Dagfinn Aune said, “Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better,” and pointed to certain disease-preventing foods—such as apples for preventing heart disease, and spinach for fighting cancer. A growing number of studies have found that plant-based foods are key to optimal health. Conversely, researchers continue to uncover the negative impact of consuming animal products.