Everyone knows that eating fruits and vegetables is healthy, but how much of these healthy foods should you be eating?
One study finds that eating at least seven portions a day could cut your risk of dying by 42 percent.
The study, performed by researchers at the University of London, looked at the dietary habits of 65,226 people between 2001 and 2013, and found that the more fruit and vegetables they ate, the less likely they were to die at any age.
LIVE LONGER – EAT MORE FRUIT & VEGETABLES
In terms of specific types of diseases, the researchers found that consuming these seven portions daily reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 31 percent and cancer by 25 percent, compared to people who ate less than one portion daily.
In addition, the more vegetables a person ate, the more their risk of dying drops.
Compared to eating less than one portion of fruit and vegetables, the risk of death by any cause is reduced by 14 percent by eating one to three portions, 29 percent for three to five portions, 36 percent for five to seven portions and 42 percent for seven or more.
VEGETABLES MORE BENEFICIAL THAN FRUIT
The study also found vegetables to be more beneficial than fruit. Fresh vegetables had the strongest protective effect.
Eating fruit was associated with a smaller, but still significant risk reduction rate of 4 percent.
AVOID FRUIT JUICE AND CANNED FRUIT
Fruit juice had no beneficial risk reduction effect, and canned fruit raised risk slightly, probably due to the sugar used in the canning process, the researchers said.