The nutrition world is fraught with controversy about what is and isn’t good for you, but there is one thing most everyone can agree on: We should all beeating more fruits and vegetables. And you don’t have to be a mathematician to know the advice about eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day. Or do you?
Researchers discovered that eating 400 grams of fruits and vegetables each day could help prevent chronic illnesses likecancer, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. They translated that into five servings a day, which became the predominant public health message for decades. Today, the message has been simplified even more to “fill half your plate” with produce, thanks to theUSDA’s MyPlateguidance. Despite the catchy slogan, only about10% of Americansmeet their needs on a typical day.
“The message hasn’t really changed, as much as the USDA determined that it’s easier for people to relate to a plate visually,” says Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., the chief food and nutrition scientist for theProduce for Better Health Foundation. The magic number is still five a day. But today, USDA guidelines recommend cups instead of servings, and the precise number is a function of your individual nutritional needs. For most people, that’s about 2 cups of fruits and 3 cups of vegetables.
It’s also important to remember that some vegetables are better than none. Only 1 in 10 Americans are consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, any potential negative effects of choosing conventional foods on health should not beused as an argument for reducing fruit and vegetable consumption. If you are following a budget and are able to purchase more vegetables if you choose conventionally grown instead of organically grown, you will still reap the health benefits.
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What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Enough Fruits & Vegetables
While half of your plate might not seem that ambitious, most people are not getting enough produce in a typical day. But there can be some serious benefits to upping your intake. Here’s what the science says you can expect if you hit the magic number of around five servings per day.
You may have a lower risk of heart disease
“The strongest evidence for the benefits of fruits and vegetables is regarding the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” says Wallace. Produce is so helpful that anInternational Journal of Epidemiologystudyfound that people who ate about six servings (or 18 ounces) of fruits and veggies a day were 16% less likely to die from coronary heart disease than people who ate less than 1½ ounces daily.
One big reason is that thesoluble fiberin produce can help block the reabsorption of cholesterol from the intestine and can help lower blood cholesterol levels, explains study co-author Edward Giovannucci, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (Top sources of soluble fiber include apples, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, pears, oranges, peas and grapefruits). Fiber also slows glucose absorption, a bonus for your heart and your blood sugar. “When sugars are rapidly absorbed in the intestine, blood glucose rises, quickly leading to a rapid increase in insulin,” says Giovannucci. “Over time, high levels of insulin and glucose can contribute to diabetes, and can also damage blood vessels, leading to heart disease.”
The heart-forward benefits of produce aren’t just about fiber. Bell peppers, citrus, kiwis, broccoli, strawberries and others delivervitamin C, an antioxidant that controls artery-damaging inflammation. Vitamin C also boosts nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes the arteries for better blood flow. It’s so helpful thatresearchreveals people who consume a vitamin C-heavy diet may be 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who eat little of this nutrient.
You may have a reduced stroke risk
But isn’t high blood pressure all about sodium? Actually, that’s only part of the picture. When you eat, say, a salty pickle, its sodium pulls water into your cells, increasing the pressure in your blood vessels. On the other hand, potassium coaxes water out of cells, lowering blood pressure. “Interestingly, studies show that people who have both very high potassium and very high sodium intakes don’t have a problem with hypertension because these electrolytes are in balance,” says Wallace.Considering fruits and veg likepotatoes, bananas and avocadoshelp deliver the potassium our bodies need and are naturally low in sodium, they’re a slam-dunk for stroke prevention.
Your brain health might improve
Whether your goal is emotional well-being now or warding off dementia later, colorful produce can be a helpful ally. A2020Nutrientssystematic reviewconcluded that consuming five or more daily servings is linked to better mental health, particularly less depression. While any produce was a win, citrus, bananas, berries, apples, kiwis, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and leafy greens like spinach provided the best brain-supporting benefits. Researchers can’t say exactly why produce is a boon for your brain, but they note nutrients that are plentiful in produce, like B vitamins, vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols and fiber-rich carbs, are linked to better brain function.
You may be protected from certain cancers
Wallace shared that 1 in 5 cancers is linked to unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits, which include low intake of fruits and vegetables. How does produce fit in? “In very large epidemiologic studies, where people provide detailed information about everything they eat and drink, the rates of developing some cancers are lower in people who eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables,” says Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Why only “some” cancers? “Certain cancers are so rare that they don’t show up enough to study,” explains McTiernan. “Or they may be so strongly associated with another cause that it’s difficult to see the effects of vegetables and fruits [like cervical cancer and the HPV virus].”
The strongest evidence, according to theNational Cancer Institute, is for cancers of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, breast and lungs. For the best defense, they recommend up to 6½ cups of produce a day. But they don’t stop there. They call out specific colors and types, namely orange, dark green andcruciferous vegfor their carotenoids and glucosinolates, phytochemicals that shield cells from carcinogens and guard against DNA damage.
These colorful veggies are also a powerful weapon against breast cancer. Inone recent study, women who loaded up on four weekly servings of yellow-orange and cruciferous vegetables (especially winter squash, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) were 17% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate these vegetables just twice a week.
You might have easier healthy weight management
Keeping off unwanted weight is as much about what you eat as what you don’t. Inone study, participants who reported eating nine servings of produce a day were 74% less likely to gain weight over a decade than those who consumed half that amount. The secret ingredient? The volume of fruits and veg that comes from water. Flavorful as produce is, it’s roughly 90% H20. “Water provides lots of volume and weight, but no calories,” says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Behavior at Penn State University, who was not affiliated with the study. “This allows you to eat larger, more satisfying portions for relatively few calories.”
However, it’s not just about water. As anyone who’s ever tried to wolf down a salad can attest, fiber-filled fruits and vegetables take time to chew, especially if they’re raw. In addition to giving your mouth a workout, fiber also slows down the rate that food empties from your stomach, explains Rolls, allowing your brain extra processing time to register that you’re full. Perhaps that’s whyresearchreveals loading up on fruits and nonstarchy vegetables can be as effective as a calorie-restricted diet for modest weight loss.
You may live longer
The Bottom Line
Today, most of us still aren’t following the advice to eat our fruits and veggies, but there are some compelling reasons to up your intake. Whether it’s through adding them to things you already eat, keeping canned or frozen versions at-the-ready or adding a side of salad or fruit to your meals, strive to eat five (or more) servings of produce each day.
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