You know the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Turns out eating one apple isn't enough. A new study suggests people who eat up to seven servings of fruit and vegetables a day can cut their risk of death by 42% – and that vegetables may be more important than fruit to your overall health.
The study, conducted by scientists in the United Kingdom, was published online Monday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The study
Researchers looked at data from more than 65,000 adults over age 35 who participated in the Healthy Surveys for England study between 2001 and 2008.
HSE surveyors had asked participants about their fruit and vegetable consumption during a 24-hour time period. Portion sizes were defined by the UK's Department of Health to be about 80 grams (equivalent to just under 3 ounces). The new study authors compared this nutrition information to mortality data for the group over the following eight or so years.
Read - Study: Eat 7 servings of fruit, veggies daily
- Seasonally speaking, here's how to get more of them into your diet:
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– Alliums
Vidalia onions – accept no impostors
All about garlic scapes
Get on the ramps train
– Artichokes
How to eat an artichoke
– Brassicas
Don't like broccoli? Give it a roast
Kohlrabi, a highly adaptable space octopus
Brilliant Brussels sprouts
– Corn
Simply ear-resistible: A grilled corn tutorial
Summer is for sweet corn
– Leafy greens and succulents
Homegrown lettuce – hold the E. coli
Five ways to cook and eat dark greens in winter
Food adventure day: Chinese broccoli
Take a chance on green soup
Foraged greens
Radish leaves
Purslane, the ‘noxious weed’ that makes a tasty salad
Multiplying greens and the mystery of amaranth
Sea beans - nature's quick little pickle
– Okra
Okra – in season and 'snot just for frying
– Root vegetables
Take a trip to the market, it might turnip a surprise
Americans just don’t understand the potato. Colombians do.
The best potato salad we've ever had
Sweet potato kimchee
Horseradish - rooted in tradition
– Squash
Squash is the answer to all your problems
We need to talk about zucchini
Learn to roast butternut squash
How to cook fall squash
– Tomatoes
The best sandwich in the universe – at least for the month of August
The only salad that matters right now
Heirloom tomatoes explained
You really should be putting tomatoes in your drinks
Mom's perfect tomato sauce
Spring vegetables | Summer vegetables | Fall vegetables | Winter vegetables
