EATING more than the recommended minimum five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may save your life.
Most people find it demanding to meet the target. But those who can exceeed it cut their risk of stroke by 26 per cent, according to research published today in The Lancet. Eating between three and five portions a day cuts the risk by 11 per cent.
Dr Feng He, of St George’s University, London, and colleagues pooled data from eight studies comparing fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke incidence. They involved more than 257,000 participants in Europe, the US and Japan. “The average fruit and vegetable intake in most developed countries is about three servings per day and current recommendations encourage five or more servings per day,” said Dr He.
“Our results provide strong support for these recommendations. If these goals were achieved, stroke morbidity and mortality would be greatly reduced. Such diet modifications would also reduce other cardiovascular disease and some cancers.”
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A stroke is the third most common cause of death in Britain, behind cancer and heart disease, and the single most common cause of severe disability. More than 150,000 people in Britain suffer a stroke every year — one every three minutes — and 67,000 Britons a year die as a result of them.