Fruits & Vegetables Lead to Longer Life, Study Finds

Recent research has been focused on discovering the effect of an anti-inflammatory nutrition on longevity and longer lifespan. An anti-inflammatory diet is considered to be a type of diet which is comprised and abundant in fruits and veggies (in addition to other healthy foods), particularly berries and dark-leafy green veggies. Let us learn more about the study and its beneficial findings.

The Study Explained

According to One Green Planet, the study was performed with 68,273 Swedish men and women aged 45 to 83 and lasted for 16 years. The power of the anti-inflammatory diet was investigated with the help of an index consisted of 5 pro-inflammatory foods and 11 foods with anti-inflammatory characteristics.

Throughout the 16 years, there were 16,088 deaths recorded and 5,980 were triggered by cardiovascular problems while 5,252 happened as a result of cancer. The participants in the study who ate higher amounts of anti-inflammatory foods, unlike those who did not, experienced lower chances of all-cause mortality, including heart problems and cancer.

The benefits of fruits and veggies like the ability to lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure and to strengthen the immunity may be a result of the complex nutrient network they posses. So, if you have not been consuming fruits and veggies a lot, increasing their amount could do wonders for your overall health and minimize the occurrence of health problems.

All in all, the study concluded that an anti-inflammatory diet can help one live a longer and healthier life. Therefore, the next time you go grocery shopping; do not just pass through the fruit and vegetable aisle!

How to Benefit from Fruits & Vegetables

According to the researchers, 10 portions of fruits and veggies on the daily will minimize the chance of strokes, cancer, and heart attack, as well as early death, as pointed out on CNN. Although the WHO recommends 5 portions or 400 grams of fruits and veggies on the daily, recent campaigns throughout the world have been encouraging the public to opt for 10 portions which is even better.

However, eating up to 10 portions of a produce can be quite challenging if we take into consideration that fewer than 18 percent of American citizens consume the recommended amount of fruit and fewer than 14 percent eat the necessary amount of veggies.

Best Ways to Boost Your Fruit & Veggie Intake

  1. Chickpea & Watercress Salad with Mango
  2. Quinoa & Fruit Salad
  3. Coconut Milk & Collard Greens

Sources:

ONE GREEN PLANET

CNN

TIME