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Eating five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is good, but 10 may be even better for your heart, according to a recent analysis of 95 observational studies. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily was associated with a 14% lower risk of heart disease while eating 10 servings a day was associated with a 24% lower risk, compared to zero servings. (A serving is cup cooked vegetables or a small piece of fruit.)
“If you can’t fit in 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, it may be worthwhile to at least make sure you eat some of the specific ones we found were associated with reduced heart disease risk,” says Dagfinn Aune, PhD, lead author of the research in the International Journal of Epidemiology. “That included leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cabbage), citrus fruits, apples and pears.” The review couldn’t show cause and effect, but other factors, including overall diet and exercise habits, were adjusted for.
To learn more: International Journal of Epidemiology, February 2017