Despite the fact that most British people struggle to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, a new analysis of different studies suggest that people should be eating ten portions a day.
According to figures from the NHS, in 2017 people in the UK ate an average of just 3.8 portions of fruit a day, with less than 30 per cent of adults achieving five a day or more. That same year Imperial College looked at the pooled results of 95 different studies on more than 2 million people and recommended that eating ten portions (around 800 g) of fresh produce a day. Amongst the benefits were a reduction in the risks of cardiovascular- and heart-disease and a drop in the risk of premature death.
Now another study looking at the psychological benefits of eating fruit and veg has confirmed the ten a day recommendation. Teams from the University of Leeds and the University of York concluded, “A five-portion increase in the number of fruits and vegetables consumed (on a day with positive consumption) would be associated with a 0.67-unit increase in mental wellbeing.” They also said that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption by a single portion a day could have as big a benefit on mental wellbeing as taking a walk twice a week.
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