To eat five fruits and vegetables a day is good, eating more is useless! This is the conclusion of a study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, USA.
While a previous study estimated the number of servings of fruits and vegetables needed to reduce the risk of death from all causes at seven per day, American researchers say that five servings are sufficient. The benefits provided by magnesium, potassium and vitamins are identical from the sixth fruit or vegetable.
An influence on certain types of cancer?
The researchers looked at 16 studies involving more than 830,000 people and spanning a period of 4 to 26 years. Result: each serving of fruit or vegetable of 100 grams reduces the risk of death from all causes by 5% on average and by 4% for cardiovascular disease. Beyond five servings, the risk does not decrease.
Scientists also believe that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables does not reduce the risk of cancer mortality. “It is possible, however, that the consumption of fruits and vegetables may have effects on certain types of cancer,” they point out.