The standard for fruit and veggie consumption used to be 5 portions a day but has recently changed to 10 servings. Upping your intake means staving off chances of dying or dying from a heart attack or cancer.
This recommended increase comes from a review of 95 studies that looked at the relationship between diet and one’s health. In the newest review examining the benefits of fruits and veggies, people who ate 10 portions (a portion is about 80 grams or an apple or three heaping tablespoons of green peas) were a third less likely to die in the course of the study compared to their counterparts who did not eat any fruits or vegetables. In addition to a lower mortality rate, those who ate more fruits and veggies benefitted from lower rates of heart disease and cancer. (International Journal of Epidemiology)
The risk of dying from cancer was also decreased when people ate more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli.
