5-a-day or 10-a-day?

You may have seen the recent headlines that eating 10 fruit and vegetables a day can prevent a whole host of illnesses and premature deaths as a result of these. But where did this information come from? What are the health benefits? And should we be doubling our intake of fruit and vegetables?

Imperial College London published a scientific article evidencing the beneficial health effects of consuming 10 portions fruit and vegetables each day, a portion is counted as 80g. Researchers compiled data from over 350 studies across the world, and calculated the risks of developing or dying from: cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and deaths by all causes. The results showed that for every 2 and a half extra portions of fruit and vegetables included in the diet, there was a 10% reduction in the risk of deaths from all causes. The researchers claimed that 7.8 million early deaths could be avoided a year if everybody consumed 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

So what does that mean for the general public? Are the government guidelines about to change? With only a third of the British public reaching the current recommendation of 5-a-day, the guidelines are unlikely to change anytime soon. Although consuming the extra portions would be desirable, it’s currently an unrealistic expectation and people should focus on consuming 5-a-day; there is no benefit of a guideline that isn’t followed.

The bottom line is that the more fruit and vegetables we can eat, the better! We should be aiming to consume 5 portions a day as a minimum, and include as many different fruits and vegetables in our meals and snacks to consume as much fruit and vegetables as we can.

For some handy hints to get more fruit and vegetables in your diet click here: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Tips.aspx

Karis Betts, Chartwells Nutritionist MSc BSc ANutr