Don’t stop at 5+ a day

Eating a wider range of fruit and veges could be better for us than eating larger amounts of a few.

Research at Colorado State University and a cancer research centre compared the effects of a diet high in a variety of fruit and vegetables (18 different types) with one low in variety (5 different types).

Both diets provided 8-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

Those eating a wider variety led to a significant reduction in oxidation of fats and DNA. The findings indicate that smaller amounts of many phytochemicals may have greater beneficial effects than larger amounts of fewer phytochemicals, highlighting the importance of eating a wide range of fruit and vegetables.

Source: Journal of Nutrition, August 2006