Fruit, Vegetables and Health

Eating fruit and vegetables every day is vital for good health. Worryingly, most Irish people, and especially Irish children, do not eat nearly enough of these essential foods. If you'd like a quick overview of why you should eat more fruit and vegetables, see our fast fruit facts.

Fruit and vegetables are packed with many essential nutrients, including vitamin C, folate and other B vitamins, provitamin A and other carotenoids, iron, calcium, potassium and dietary fibre. In addition, fruit and vegetables are full of disease fighting phytochemicals (pronounced "fight"-o-chemicals).

The World Health Organisation recommends 5-10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, where a portion is approximated as a handful. So a small apple would count as one portion for a 6 year old child, as would a handful of grapes or a handful of chopped carrots.

Why 5 Portions per Day?

There is lots of scientific evidence showing that higher consumption of fruit and veg is linked to lower rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other serious illnesses. For example, studies show that increasing fruit/veg intake from 2 to about 5 portions per day halves the relative risk for lung cancer. The vast majority of experts across the world agree that increasing consumption of fruit and veg reduces risk of disease, and there are no adverse effects linked to increasing fruit/veg consumption.

Your fruit/veg "dose" is important...you need to consume a minimum of 5 portions every day to ensure good health. Remember that when you hear the recommendation "eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables every day" this is a minimum recommendation...5 pieces is not the target, it is the minimum that your body needs for long term health.

Our consumption of fruits and vegetables in Ireland is low. Even more worryingly, the amount of fruit and veg we eat is falling. Only 36% of school age girls and 29% of boys in Ireland eat one or more piece of fruit per day. Irish school age children are also consuming fewer vegetables. In other words, two thirds of Irish children do not eat fruit on a daily basis, never mind 5 pieces.

What's the Magic Ingredient in Fruit & Veg?

Scientists aren't quite sure of the answer to this one...the only thing we can say conclusively is that people who eat plenty of fruit and veggies get less nasty illnesses, and taking vitamin pills does not have the same effect.

Phytochemicals (pronounced "fight"-o-chemical) are substances found in fruit and vegetables that have a beneficial effect on health. In some cases, phytochemicals actively combat disease - for example, scientists recently found that a substance called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is naturally present in cabbage-family vegetables, slowed down or even killed breast cancer cells.

Some fruit/veg phytochemicals have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants help prevent damaging reactions within the human body and have a beneficial effect upon health. By reducing free-radical damage and inflammation, phytochemicals may promote cardiac health, and reduce the risk of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Many studies also show that some plant phytochemicals are anti-proliferative – they slow or prevent the growth of some cancer cells. 

Fruit, Vegetables and Cancer

Cancer is a huge issue in Ireland, with roughly one quarter of all deaths being caused by cancer. There is a huge body of evidence that suggests regular fruit and vegetable consumption is protective against cancer. The US National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organisation both link the lack of fruit/vegetable intake with an increased risk for cancer.

It is likely that fruit and vegetable consumption protects against certain cancers. According to a recent review on fruit, vegetables and cancer carried out by the World Health Organisation, eating more fruit probably lowers the risk of cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and lung, and possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, colon-rectum, larynx, kidney, and bladder.

Increasing consumption of vegetables probably lowers the risk of cancers of the oesophagus and colon-rectum and possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, stomach, larynx, lung, ovary and kidney.

Studies show that taking antioxidant supplements (i.e. pills) does NOT protect health in the same way that regular consumption of fruit and vegetables does. The beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable consumption is possibly due to different beneficial components of the food working together in ways that we don’t quite understand.

What Fruits and Veggies in Particular?

The evidence suggests that we should increase our general fruit and vegetable consumption, rather than focusing on a specific type of fruit/veg. Health authorities do not recommend specific “super” foods, since the health benefits of fruit and vegetables almost certainly come from consuming a wide range of these foods. 

All fruits and vegetables are likely to have a beneficial effect on health, but specific effects are beginning to be identified. For example, studies have suggested particular benefits from consuming the following:

This is not an exhaustive list - many different fruits and vegetables are being examined by researchers across the world to determine their specific effects, and new benefits to fruit and veg consumption are being uncovered all the time.

Fruit, Vegetables and Heart Disease

Roughly 40% of all deaths in Ireland are due to heart disease. There is very strong evidence to suggest that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Studies show that the more fruit & veg you consume, the better for your heart. One of the largest studies in this area involved almost 110,000 people - The Harvard Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. This research showed that individuals consuming 8 or more portions of fruit or veg per day were 30% less likely to get a heart attack or stroke compared with those consuming little fruit or veg.

Increasing your fruit and veg intake by only one portion per day can have a big effect on your disease risk - every extra serving of fruit/veg you get equates to a 4% decrease in your risk for heart disease. This shows how important it is to make sure we help our children to get into the habit of consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Regular consumption of fruit and vegetables has also been shown to reduce blood pressure...a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Researchers have found that people with high blood pressure who followed a diet rich in fruit, veggies and low-fat dairy products reduced their blood pressure drastically. In fact, the fall in blood pressure was similar to that achieved by medication.

Other Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables