Fruit is good for you, and we all agree. But how much fruit should you eat a day? Can it be eaten in large quantities? What are the effects of fruit intake on our body?
The answer was found by researchers who recently published a study in the journal Circulation giving a specific indication of how many portions of fruit and vegetables they are necessary for increase our longevity.
Always taking into account the fact that some fruits have a high concentration of sugars and carbohydrates and for this reason they are excluded (or really reduced to the bone) from some types of slimming diets, such as the ketogenic or “low carb” diet.
How much fruit to eat per day?
The scholars started from the fact that the advice to eat more fruit and vegetables is probably a fixed point of nutritional recommendations; but then they also asked themselves How much do we really need?
They compared data from 26 studies involving the eating habits of 1.9 million people from 29 countries and up to 30 years of follow-up. Quite a bit of material, in short. Which allowed him to discover how much fruit to eat a day and also how much vegetables to eat.
They found that five servings a day appear to be the magic number when it comes to reducing the risk of early death, broken down into two portions of fruit and three of vegetables.
The study also emerges, perhaps surprisingly, those who ate more than five servings saw no additional benefits in terms of longer life.
Those who consumed in the study at least five servings had a 13% lower risk of death, and this was especially evident with respiratory diseases, coming in at 35% lower risk of death from a condition such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
How much fruit and vegetables should you eat at most?
“Our goal should be to consume at least five servings, and even if you reach a limit to reduce your risk of chronic disease, it doesn’t mean it’s harmful to consume more,” commented Wisconsin dietitian Kara Hoerr, MS, RDN
“The more vegetables or fruit you consume in a day, fewer processed foods or less healthy you eat,” he added. “Our goal should be to consume at least five servings, and even if you reach a limit to reduce the risk of chronic disease, it doesn’t mean it’s harmful to consume more.”
According to dietitian Erin Kenney, MS, RD, iThe body can only absorb and store a certain amount at one time. Even in this case, however, he recommends considering the maximum amount, because the amount of fiber is enormously beneficial, particularly for a healthy intestinal microbiome.
However, regarding the fact of eating lots of fruit and vegetables, it is important to clarify the need find a balance, Hoerr added. “Fruits and vegetables are great, but so are protein foods, whole grains and healthy fats,” she said. “If they wear out more than five servings a dayit doesn’t leave enough room for these other foods that provide essential nutrients not found in fruits and vegetables.”
