Although there is much debate in the nutrition field about what foods are and are not healthy, almost everyone can agree that we should all eat more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, you don't need to be a mathematician to understand the recommendation to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Or would you?
Consuming 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily has been linked to a lower risk of developing chronic diseases like dementia, heart disease, cancer, and stroke, according to research. They interpreted that as five servings per day, which for many years was the main public health message. Thanks to the USDA's MyPlate recommendations, the message has been further condensed to "load half your plate" with produce today. Despite the catchy slogan, just 10% of Americans can consistently meet their demands.
According to Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., the principal food and nutrition scientist for the Produce for Better Health Foundation, "the messaging hasn't really changed, as much as the USDA discovered that it's easier for people to relate to a plate visually." The magic number every day is still five. However, current USDA recommendations suggest cups rather than servings, and the actual amount depends on your unique nutritional requirements. That is two 2 cups of fruits and 3 cups of veggies for the majority of people.
How Your Body Changes When You Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Even though eating half of your plate might not sound ambitious, the majority of people do not consume enough produce on a daily basis. However, increasing your consumption may have some significant advantages. Here are the results that, according to science, you can expect if you consume the recommended amount of five servings every day.
Your chance of developing heart disease may be lower.
According to Wallace, the evidence showing the advantages of fruits and vegetables in preventing cardiovascular disease is the strongest. Produce is so beneficial that according to research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, those who consume around six servings (or 18 ounces) of fruits and vegetables daily have a 16% lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than those who consume less than 1 ounces.
According to co-author of the study and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Edward Giovannucci, M.D., M.P.H., soluble fiber in produce can help limit the reabsorption of cholesterol from the intestine and lower blood cholesterol levels. Apples, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, pears, oranges, peas, and grapefruits are excellent sources of soluble fiber. Additionally, fiber decreases the absorption of glucose, benefiting both your blood sugar and heart. According to Giovannucci, when sugars are absorbed fast in the intestine, blood glucose levels rise, which causes an immediate spike in insulin levels. High insulin and glucose levels over time can cause diabetes and blood vessel damage, which results in heart disease.
Produce has many heart-healthy advantages beyond fiber. Vitamin C, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation that damages arteries, is present in foods including bell peppers, citrus, kiwis, broccoli, strawberries, and others. Nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes the arteries to improve blood flow, is also increased by vitamin C. It's so beneficial that studies suggest those who consume a diet high in vitamin C may have a 21% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who consume less of this nutrient.
Your chance of having a stroke may be lower.
According to the World Health Organization, consuming 712 servings of produce a day may lower the risk of stroke by 10% to 19%. Potassium is partially to blame for this. Produce has the highest concentration of this mineral, which lowers the blood pressure, of any food group. Additionally, a leading risk factor for stroke is excessive blood pressure.
But isn't sodium the main factor in high blood pressure? Actually, that just provides a portion of the story. For example, when you consume a salty pickle, the sodium draws water into your cells, raising your blood pressure. On the other side, potassium encourages cells to release water, which lowers blood pressure. According to studies, persons who consume extremely high salt and potassium intakes do not experience hypertension issues because their electrolytes are in equilibrium. Because they naturally contain less salt and help deliver the potassium our systems require, fruits and vegetables like potatoes, bananas, and avocados are a slam dunk for preventing stroke.
Your mental health may get better.
Produce that is colorful might be an effective ally if your objective is to maintain emotional stability now or prevent dementia in the future. According to a 2020 Nutrients systematic review, eating five or more servings per day is associated with greater mental health, including decreased depression. Citrus, bananas, berries, apples, kiwis, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and leafy greens like spinach offered the highest brain-supporting advantages, however, all food was beneficial. Although scientists are unsure of the precise reason why produce is good for your brain, they do notice that certain nutrients, including as B vitamins, vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols, and carbs high in fiber, are associated with improved brain function.
Flavonoids can aid if long-term brain health is a concern (get them from oranges, berries, apples, pears, peppers, and celery). By boosting blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation, and protecting brain cells from damaging beta-amyloid plaques that cause Alzheimer's disease, this family of plant chemicals is thought to prevent memory loss and dementia. For instance, a 2021 Neurology study found that adults who consumed the most flavonoids were 19% less likely than those who consumed the fewest flavonoids to suffer from the early stages of age-related memory loss. The good news for OJ drinkers is that those who consumed the highest flavones, a type of flavonoid that is prevalent in oranges and orange juice, had their brain ages reduced by three to four years.
You might be shielded from some malignancies.
Wallace stated that a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as eating few fruits and vegetables, are associated with 1 in 5 cases of cancer. In what way does produce fit in? According to Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, "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." Why "some" tumors only? According to McTiernan, some tumors are too uncommon to be adequately studied. Or it could not be easy to identify the impacts of fruits and vegetables [like cervical cancer and the HPV virus] because they are so closely related to another cause.
The National Cancer Institute states that the cancers of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, breast, and lungs have the strongest supporting data. They advise eating up to 6 cups of produce every day for the best defense. However, they don't end there. They specifically mention orange, dark green, and cruciferous vegetables because they contain carotenoids and glucosinolates, phytochemicals that protect cells from carcinogens and prevent DNA damage.
These vibrant vegetables are also an effective tool in the fight against breast cancer. According to a recent study, women who ate four servings per week of cruciferous and yellow-orange vegetables, including winter squash, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, had a 17% lower risk of breast cancer than those who only ate these foods twice per week.
You could find it simpler to maintain a healthy weight.
What you consume matters just as much as what you don't eat when trying to lose weight. According to one study, persons who claimed to eat nine servings of produce each day were 74% less likely to gain weight over a ten-year period than those who only ate half that amount. The key component? is the percentage of fruits and vegetables that are made of water. Despite how flavorful vegetables is, it is mostly water. According to Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Behavior at Penn State University, who was not involved in the study, "water gives lots of volume and weight, but no calories." This enables you to consume larger, more filling quantities for only a little number of calories.
Water isn't the only issue, though. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables take some time to chew, especially if they're raw, as anyone who has ever tried to gulp down a salad can confirm. According to Rolls, fiber not only works your mouth but also takes longer for food to leave your stomach, giving your brain more time to realize that you are full. Perhaps this explains why eating a lot of fruits and nonstarchy vegetables can be just as beneficial for modest weight loss as a calorie-restricted diet.
You might live longer.
The combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more than 5,000 bioactive substances that fruits and vegetables provide cannot be matched by any pharmaceutical. According to a recent study that monitored the dietary habits of 108,735 people over three decades, it seems sensible that they might help you live longer. The longest-living participants consumed two servings of fruit and three servings of nonstarchy vegetables every day, which reduced their risk of early death from diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease by 13% compared to participants who only consumed two servings of produce daily.
To sum up
Even if the majority of us still don't consume enough fruits and vegetables, there are some convincing arguments for doing so. Eat five (or more) servings of produce every day. You can do this by incorporating them into other foods you normally eat, keeping canned or frozen versions on hand, or adding a side of salad or fruit to your meals.
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