Importance Of Fruits And Vegetables

According to an article by CBS News, a new analysis finds that eating more than five servings of fruits and veggies per day can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and early death.

The researchers found the greatest benefit came from eating 10 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. They estimated that if everyone ate this amount – equivalent to about 800 grams, or 28 ounces – approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be prevented.

To arrive at these figures, scientists from Imperial College London analyzed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake. The meta-analysis included 2 million people from populations worldwide and assessed up to 43,000 cases of heart disease, 47,000 cases of stroke, 81,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, 112,000 cancer cases, and 94,000 deaths. The results are published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Eating 10 portions of fruits and vegetables per day was tied to a:


  • 24 percent reduced risk of heart disease.
  • 33 percent reduced risk of stroke.
  • 28 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • 13 percent reduced risk of cancer.
  • 31 percent reduction in premature death. 


It's an eye-opening analysis. It shows what fruits and vegetables are the best in the prevention of heart disease, stroke, cancer and early death.  The full results can be read here.

And this is why I place great importance in the intake of fruits and vegetables in my household.  Though my girls are old enough to cut and prep fruits on their own, they are sometimes too busy or simply lazy to do it.  That's OK, I will still do it for them for as long as they want me to. 

Daily fruit boxes for my girls.

Red dragon fruit, mango, organic kyuri and apple. 



Banana, apple, kiwi, mango and organic cherry tomatoes.


Blueberries, banana, orange and mango.

With the vegetables that we eat for lunch and dinner, I think our fruits and vegetables intake make up to 800 gm a day. I spend a minimum of RM800 on fruits and organic vegetables each month and I hope it's a good investment for a life free from major ailments.