3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit per day: this is what the American Heart Federation recommends as the optimal combination for living a longer and healthier life. The nutritional recommendation of “5 fruits and vegetables per day” relayed in France by the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS) is indeed often applied in an unbalanced way, opting for 4 fruits and a single small portion of vegetables, for example.
“Consumers are likely receiving inconsistent messaging about what defines the optimal daily intake of fruits and vegetables, such as the recommended amount, and which foods to include and which to avoid,” says Dr. Dong Wang, epidemiologist and nutritionist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. of Boston (USA). He analyzed two American studies on the state of health of more than 100,000 adults followed for 30 years, including from a nutritional point of view. It also analyzed fruit and vegetable consumption data from 2 million people from 29 countries on different continents. Its findings indicate that:
- The daily consumption of around 5 servings of fruits and vegetables is actually associated with a lower risk of death.
- Compared to those who consumed 2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, those who consumed 5 had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes and a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
- Eating 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day is associated with the longest longevity.
- Eating more than 5 servings per day does not provide additional benefit.
“Our analysis in the two cohorts of American men and women gave results similar to those of 26 cohorts around the world, which confirms the biological plausibility of our results” adds the doctor, who published the results of his study in the magazine Circulation.
5 servings a day, what is it?
A serving of vegetables or fruit should be the size of a fist or the equivalent of two heaping tablespoons of cooked vegetables or stewed fruit. A portion is also:
- 1 apple
- 2 apricots
- 1 slice of melon
- 1 banana
- 5-6 strawberries
- 1 orange
- 1 tomato
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of spinach
- 1 large carrot
- 1 handful of green beans
Source :
- Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort StudiesTraffic, March 2021
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