While the benefits of fruits and vegetables have been known for a long time, a recent European study confirms that the more portions you eat a day, the less likely you are to die a premature death, ScienceDaily reports.
In the new report, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from ten European countries analyzed 25,682 deaths, 10,438 of which were due to cancer and 5,125 due to cardiovascular disease, among the 451,151 participants studied for over 13 years, as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
A fruit and vegetable intake of more than 569 grams per day (around 7 servings) was found to reduce the risk of a premature death by 10 percent, delaying mortality by 1.12 years, as compared to the consumption of 249 grams or less per day. In addition, for every 200 gram increase in daily consumption, the risk of death decreased by 6 percent.
"This study is the most significant epidemiological study that this association has examined to date," María José Sánchez Pérez, director of the Andalusian School of Public Health's (EASP) Granada Cancer Registry and one of the authors of the research, told SINC.
The researchers concluded that almost 3 percent of deaths could be prevented if people ate six or seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
"There is now sufficient evidence of the beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable consumption in the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases," lead study author, María José Sánchez Pérez, told Science Daily. "For this reason, one of the most effective preventative measures is promoting their consumption in the population."
Researchers also discovered that a diet rich in fruits and veggies reduces the risk of death by cardiovascular disease by 15 percent, and concluded that more than 4 percent of related deaths could be prevented.
"With regard to cancer mortality, no statistically significant risk reduction was found, although it will be necessary to assess this according to specific types of cancer," Sánchez said.
Study authors noted that the high antioxidant content of raw fruits and vegetables can "mitigate "the oxidative stress caused by alcohol, tobacco and obesity," thus concluding that these groups could also benefit and possibly live longer by increasing their daily consumption.
