5-a-day

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The right ‘5-a-day’ mix is 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings for longer life

5 A DAY - Fruit and Vegetables
5 A DAY – Fruit and Vegetables

 

Studies representing nearly 2 million adults worldwide show that eating about five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, in which 2 are fruits and 3 are vegetables, is likely the optimal amount for a longer life, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation.

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce risk for numerous chronic health conditions that are leading causes of death, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Yet, only about one in 10 adults eat enough fruits or vegetables, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“While groups like the American Heart Association recommend four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables daily, consumers likely get inconsistent messages about what defines optimal daily intake of fruits and vegetables such as the recommended amount, and which foods to include and avoid,” said lead study author Dong D. Wang, M.D., Sc.D., an epidemiologist, nutritionist and a member of the medical faculty at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Wang and colleagues analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, two studies including more than 100,000 adults who were followed for up to 30 years. Both datasets included detailed dietary information repeatedly collected every two to four years. For this analysis, researchers also pooled data on fruit and vegetable intake and death from 26 studies that included about 1.9 million participants from 29 countries and territories in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Analysis of all studies, with a composite of more than 2 million participants, revealed:

  • Intake of about five servings of fruits and vegetables daily was associated with the lowest risk of death. Eating more than five servings was not associated with additional benefit. 
  • Eating about two servings daily of fruits and three servings daily of vegetables was associated with the greatest longevity.
  • Compared to those who consumed two servings of fruit and vegetables per day, participants who consumed five servings a day of fruits and vegetable had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes; a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke; a 10% lower risk of death from cancer; and a 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • Not all foods that one might consider to be fruits and vegetables offered the same benefits. For example: Starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, fruit juices and potatoes were not associated with reduced risk of death from all causes or specific chronic diseases.
  • On the other hand, green leafy vegetables, including spinach, lettuce and kale, and fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries and carrots, showed benefits.

“Our analysis in the two cohorts of U.S. men and women yielded results similar to those from 26 cohorts around the world, which supports the biological plausibility of our findings and suggests these findings can be applied to broader populations,” Wang said.

Wang said this study identifies an optimal intake level of fruits and vegetables and supports the evidence-based, succinct public health message of ‘5-a-day,’ meaning people should ideally consume five servings of fruit and vegetable each day. “This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public,” he said. “We also found that not all fruits and vegetables offer the same degree of benefit, even though current dietary recommendations generally treat all types of fruits and vegetables, including starchy vegetables, fruit juices and potatoes, the same.”

A limitation of the research is that it is observational, showing an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of death; it does not confer a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

“The American Heart Association recommends filling at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal,” said Anne Thorndike, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “This research provides strong evidence for the lifelong benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and suggests a goal amount to consume daily for ideal health. Fruits and vegetables are naturally packaged sources of nutrients that can be included in most meals and snacks, and they are essential for keeping our hearts and bodies healthy.” 

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Five-a-day of fruit and veg is good, but ’10 is better’




10 portions of fruit and veg per day

10 portions of fruit and veg per day




“Forget five a day, eat 10 portions of fruit and veg to cut risk of early death,” The Guardian reports.

A major review found people who regularly ate 800g of fruit and veg a day – 10 portions – had a significantly lower risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

Researchers looked at more than 350 studies from around the world that examined the impact of fruit and veg consumption on a range of health outcomes, such as cancer and stroke, as well as premature death.

They found eating more fruit and veg was linked to a lower risk of getting these diseases and dying early when eating up to 800g a day (around 10 portions), or 600g a day for cancer.




The specific types of fruit and veg associated with reducing the risk of developing different diseases were also listed.

So does that mean the 5 A DAY campaign that encourages people to have at least five portions of fruit and veg a day should be updated? Well, as Victoria Taylor of the British Heart Foundation argues: “There is no nutritional benefit in a guideline that is not followed.”

Having five portions of fruit and veg a day was chosen by public health campaigners because it was seen as an achievable target for most people.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, explained to the BBC that, “Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable … adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation.”

Get tips on how to get your 5 A DAY.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from various academic and medical institutions in Norway, Imperial College London and Leeds University in the UK, and Harvard University and the Icahn School of Medicine in the US.

The study was funded by Olav og Gerd Meidel Raagholt’s Stiftelse for Medisinsk Forskning, the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the Imperial College National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre. The funding body had no input into the design of the study.

The study was published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Epidemiology.

The UK media generally reported the story accurately. Some sources included quotes from independent experts, who explained 5 A DAY may not be the most optimal target, but was chosen for pragmatic reasons.

What kind of research was this?

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies looking at fruit and veg intake.

The researchers looked at fruit and veg intake and health outcomes, such as coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and death.

While a meta-analysis is good at summarising all research from a particular area, it’s only as good as the studies it includes. Any limitations of the studies included will also be limitations of the meta-analysis.

In this case, all of the studies were prospective cohort studies. This means they are only able to show an association, and can’t prove cause and effect.

What did the research involve?

The researchers analysed data from 95 prospective cohort studies that monitored people over time, and looked at fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of various diseases.

The studies were mostly from Europe and the US, but also included research from Asia and Australia. These were large studies, so there was data available for from 226,910 to 2,123,415 people for each analysis.

The relative risks for getting or dying from certain diseases was calculated for:

coronary heart disease

stroke

total cardiovascular disease

total cancer

all-cause deaths

The researchers looked at how each increase of 200g a day of fruit and vegetables affected the risk of disease and death.

They also estimated the number of early deaths worldwide that may be the result of eating less fruit and veg.

This was based on the assumption that the association between fruit and veg intake and the diseases was causal – in other words, how much fruit and veg a person ate was responsible for whether or not they developed a disease.

They also looked at specific fruit and vegetables and their association with risk.

What were the basic results?

Risk for each disease and death – other than cancer – was reduced with each 200g a day increase in fruit and vegetables up to 800g a day, and 600g a day for cancer.

So eating 800g a day of fruit and vegetables indicated the biggest reduction in risk.

For each 200g a day increase in fruit and veg, the risk of getting each health outcome was decreased by:

8% for coronary heart disease (relative risk [RR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90 to 0.94)

16% for stroke (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.92)

8% for total cardiovascular disease (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.95)

3% for total cancer (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99)

10% for all-cause death (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.93)

Researchers estimated that globally, a total of 5.6 million early deaths in 2013 were down to eating less than 500g a day of fruit and vegetables.

Researchers estimated that when using 800g a day as the optimal intake of fruit and vegetables, 7.8 million early deaths could have been avoided by people eating this amount.

The following specific fruit and vegetables were found to help reduce the risk of:

coronary heart disease – apples or pears, citrus fruit, fruit juices, green leafy vegetables, beta carotene-rich vegetables such as carrots and sweet potato, and vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables

stroke – apples or pears, citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables and pickled vegetables

cardiovascular disease – apples or pears, citrus fruit, carrots, green leafy vegetables and non-cruciferous vegetables such as butternut squash

total cancer – cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli

all cause of death – apples or pears, berries, citrus fruit, cooked or raw vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, potatoes and green leafy vegetables or salads

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that, “In this meta-analysis of 95 studies (142 publications), reductions in risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality were observed up to an intake of 800g/day of fruit and vegetables combined, whereas for total cancer no further reductions in risk were observed above 600g/day.

“Inverse associations were observed between intake of apples/pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables/salads and cruciferous vegetables and cardiovascular disease and mortality, and between green-yellow vegetables and cruciferous vegetables and total cancer risk.”

They added that, “An estimated 5.6 and 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide in 2013 may be attributable to a fruit and vegetable intake below 500 and 800g/day, respectively, if the observed associations are causal.”

Conclusion

This research supports the idea that the more fruit and veg you eat the better – at least, up to 10 portions (800g) a day.

It also suggests the number of people who die early might be reduced if they were to eat more than the current recommended guideline daily amount.

However, before we take this at face value, there are some important considerations:

There are likely to be many confounding factors that may have affected the results. It might be that people who eat a lot of fruit and veg are also more likely to be physically active, consume less alcohol, not smoke and be a healthy weight, or other factors that might mean better health outcomes. It’s not just fruit and vegetable intake that influences the risk of getting certain diseases and dying early.

The study didn’t look at all diseases, such as infectious or respiratory conditions, so it might be the case that eating more fruit and veg than the guideline amount is not beneficial for reducing the risk of developing all diseases.

The studies included might have varied in several ways – for example, the country the research was conducted in might have influenced things like the way fruit and vegetables were prepared, the different types of fruit and vegetables available, and other dietary and lifestyle factors.

There were few studies looking at the specific types of fruits and vegetables, so it might be there are other fruit and vegetables that are also beneficial but not listed.

There were considerable differences between the studies. This means that when you pool their results together, you need to view the results with some caution. This was particularly true for cancer, stroke and all causes of death.

As with most studies assessing diet, they are reliant on accurate self-reporting of food intake, and may not take into account changes in diet over time.

Despite these limitations, this was a strong piece of research with good statistical methodology.

If you’re in the majority of the public who struggle to get their 5 A DAY, current advice may be a more realistic goal to aim for in the short term.

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5 A DAY: what counts?




5 A DAY - Fruit and Vegetables

5 A DAY – Fruit and Vegetables

5 A DAY: what counts?




Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY, so it may be easier than you think to get your recommended daily amount.

Fruit and vegetables don’t have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own: they also count if they’re part of a meal or dish.

To find out how much is in a portion, see 5 A DAY portion sizes.

What counts towards 5 A DAY?

As well as fresh fruit and vegetables, the following all also count towards your 5 A DAY.

  • Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta.
  • Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. This is because, although they are a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.

Frozen and canned fruit and veg




  • Frozen fruit and vegetables.
  • Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
  • A 30g portion of dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs, counts as one of your 5 A DAY, but should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the impact on teeth.
  • Fruit and vegetables in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label. For more information, seeour page on food labels.

Drinks and 5 A DAY

  • Keep an eye on the amount of fruit juice and smoothies you consume. The current advice is to limit consumption of fruit/vegetable juices and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day (one portion). Crushing fruit into juice also releases the sugars contained in the fruit, which can cause damage to teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are sugary, so limit these to a combined total of 150ml a day.
  • Diluting with water (still or sparkling) can make 150ml of fruit juice go further, if you’re thirsty.
  • Remember to keep fruit juice and smoothies to mealtimes, to reduce the impact on teeth.

For more details, see 5 A DAY FAQs.

Do potatoes count towards my 5 A DAY?

No. Potatoes are a starchy food and a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.

In the UK, we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes. Although they typically only contain around 11-16mg of vitamin C per 100g of potatoes, we generally eat a lot of them.

When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don’t count towards your 5 A DAY.

Other vegetables that don’t count towards your 5 A DAY are yams, cassava and plantain. They are also usually eaten as starchy foods.

Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count towards your 5 A DAY, because they are usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.

Potatoes play an important role in your diet, even if they aren’t cooked with salt or fat, even if they don’t count towards your 5 A DAY. It’s best to eat them without any added salt or fat.

They’re also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible, to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, if you’re having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin too.

5 A DAY: a wide variety

To get the most from your five portions, eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

For 5 A DAY recipe ideas, see 5 A DAY recipes.

For more information about a healthy, balanced diet, see Food and diet.55

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A Guide To Living Off Your Own Garden – What are the Health Benefits?


Health and Gardening

Health and Gardening

There is a huge growing trend in people wanting to become more self-sufficient, where living off your own garden can provide enormous health and environmental benefits. Give it a try for a cleaner, healthier, more environmentally friendly and cheaper way of living. The following is a beginner’s guide, informing on the benefits, how to get started, and a few tips and tricks to make growing your own food easy!

Health and Environmental Benefits

  1. Growing Your Own Food Without Pesticides.

Pesticides are toxic substances used to kill living things. In the garden the most common ones you will come across are herbicides, which kill weeds, and insecticides which eradicate insects.




Over 40 years of research has linked pesticides to a wide range of health problems in adults and children, including temporary issues like nausea and headaches through to long term problems such as ADHD, reproductive difficulties and many forms of cancer. Children are particularly at risk as they are more sensitive to chemicals, plus they often play in areas which have been exposed to pesticides. By using organic methods of gardening and natural forms of pest control you can negate these issues. This is why it’s important to wash your fruit and veg you get from the shops!

  1. Exercise Benefits Through Gardening

Gardening entails a wide range of movement and this helps to build muscle and strengthen joints. It is also good for flexibility as you are often extending legs and arms to get to hard to reach areas. As with any form of exercise, to see any real benefits, you need to garden for at least 30 minutes at a time. This will burn calories and in the process help to lower your cholesterol levels; reduce blood pressure; decrease your risk of diabetes; and slow osteoporosis, which is particularly important for women.

Physical exercise also has a positive effect on the mind. It helps to alleviate depression and decrease stress levels. You are also working outside in the fresh air and this too has been shown to strengthen mental health.

  1. Benefits of Eating Fruit and Vegetables




Health and Gardening

Health and Gardening

We are all aware we should eat more fruit and vegetables. In the UK we have the ‘5 a Day’ campaign and in the USA dietary guidelines recommend that half your plate should comprise fresh produce.

Fruits and vegetables are good for us for several reasons. First, they contain dietary fibre and this lowers the incidence of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Second, they contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents which combine to keep us healthy and ward off disease.

  1. The Environment

The biggest benefit for the environment, when you live off your garden, is the short distance the food has to travel from where it is grown to your plate. We are all being advised to reduce the ‘food miles’ of the produce we consume and the best ways to do this are to buy locally and eat seasonally. When you rely on the fruits and vegetables you have produced yourself you can only eat in season and it is always local. Furthermore, you will decrease your plastic wastage. Buying from the shop also entails bringing home with you a large quantity of plastic the food is packaged in.

A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables

Deciding Where to Grow

Vegetables grow best where it is sunny, so choose carefully when you are deciding where to plant. You can always add shade for more delicate crops such as salad and fruit bushes.

The majority of soil found in gardens will suit vegetable growing. However, if your soil is shallow, full of stones or clay rich, which will be cold and wet in winter, build raised beds or plant in large pots.

Dealing with Pests

One advantage of growing your own produce is the avoidance of pesticides and therefore you will want to deal with slugs and snails naturally.

Keep the plot clear of weeds and leaves and put a paved or soil path between beds, so you or the birds can spot pests easily. If you are having particular problems you could always lay down organic slug pellets.

Preparing the Soil

Before you start planting you should turn the soil over and remove weeds, roots and stones. This helps to prevent weeds returning and improves drainage. Some gardens will suffer the blight of perennial weeds and in this case cover the soil with newspaper and add a layer of compost about 5cm in depth.

Getting the Best From Planting

Follow the instructions on the seed packets as closely as possible, especially when you are new to vegetable gardening. Compost can be hugely beneficial to your garden so collect your lawn clippings, organic kitchen waste and anything you prune from the garden.

While you may read to let your ground lie fallow for a period, such as with crop rotation in farming, this isn’t possible in a small space. However, what you can do is grow different crops in a bed in subsequent years.

Easy Fruit and Vegetables to Grow

As a beginner you will want to choose crops which are easy and provide a wide range of nutrients.

Vegetables: Many people start out with courgettes and runner beans as these are particularly easy to grow. Broccoli, kale and spinach are excellent choices nutritionally and varieties of beans can be filling and protein-rich.

Root vegetables: Potatoes can be used in a wide variety of ways in cooking and are easy to store. Beetroot, carrots and onions are also good choices.

Salad: Salad vegetables and herbs are expensive and in the summer most families will consume large amounts of them. Tomatoes, peppers, radishes, cucumbers and spring onions are fast growing and plentiful. Herbs will add flavour to any dish and in the winter months can be grown indoors.

Fruit: Don’t forget about fruit as yields are high and will last through the season. They are easy to freeze and to turn into jams. Apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are wise choices for beginners.

Extras: It is best to keep in mind what you like to cook with when you are planting.  Garlic and mushrooms provide health benefits and spirulina, although less well known, is a great nutritional addition if you have relatively little space.

A Vegetable Calendar Will Help You Plan

One of the biggest helps to you as you plan your growing cycle will be a vegetable calendar. This tells you exactly the steps you need to take to live off your own garden. Highlighting when you need to plant each vegetable and care instructions until it is time to harvest. For example, if you want to grow radishes it tells you to plant them in the first week of April under cloches and that they will be ready to eat by the end of May. Gooseberries need pruning in the first quarter of the year, mulching in early April, watering in June and are ready for picking in July.

Once you have a plan and start working in your garden, you will soon enjoy the many benefits of living from your own land.

 

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10 Tips for a Healthy Heart. Check them out and you can help prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) this World Heart Day.


Tips for reducing the risk of heart disease!

Tips for reducing the risk of heart disease!

As I sat down to work today I had a look over the BBC’s health news to see what the issues of teh day might be. The main headline was “Heart disease warnings ‘missed‘” . I’d also forgotten that today is World Heart Day.

Delving further into the article I discovered that the British Heart Foundation had recently organised some survey research and they discovered, to their horror, that 90% of people think that there must be symptoms associated with that “silent killer” high blood pressure.

So I thought it would be a good opportunity to share with you British Heart Foundation’s tips for a healthy heart and to prevent coronary heart disease.

a) Give up smoking. You can find some ideas to help you pack in smoking here.
b) Get your general health road tested by your doctor.
c) Maintain a healthy weight. Read our weight loss tips and blog posts here.
d) Keep active. Pretty hard for many of us but much more for people with chronic pain. You might find this guide to exercise for people with pain useful.
e) Lower your salt consumption. Both in and out of the home.
f) Eat your 5-a-day. Do you?
g) Cut the saturated fat. Find out more about diet and health here.
h) Always read the food labels. You would be amazed at the salt and sugar in processed foods.
i) Cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink. How much do you drink?
j) Watch your portion sizes. Make sure you eat less.

Do you have any tips for our readers? If you do please do feel free to share below in the comments boxes.

Thanks in advance.