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Why ‘5-a-day’ Might Be Holding You Back From Living Longer
If there was one daily habit that you could easily add without upheaving your life that isn’t a concoction of pills or an expensive gym membership that could:
- Cut your risk of heart disease by 25 percent
- Reduce stroke risk by a third
- Lower early death by 30 percent
Would you do it or just let it slip? Currently, only 1 in 3 people are meeting the 5-a-day guideline.
The secret, consume more fruit and veg.
There’s a reason why the phrase ‘5-a-day’ has been promoted and banded around so much over the past few decades and it’s not because it’s the optimal intake. It was chosen because it was realistic, but the science has always indicated that the higher you can go above the 5-a-day the better.
If 5-a-day is the realistic intake, what could the benefits be if you were to work up to 10-a-day? Thankfully, a study of more than 2 million people eating 10-a-day found:
- 33% lower risk of stroke
- 28% lower risk cardiovascular disease
- 24% lower risk of heart disease
- 13% lower cancer risk
What this adds up to? A longer lifespan, reducing the risk of premature death by 31%.
Here’s why it matters:
Our gut health and gut microbiome play a considerable role in our overall health and wellbeing. If the microbiome were a city, the total number of bacteria contained within it would be the equivalent of the World’s human population multiplied by 12,500. These bacteria produce compounds that lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, support mood, regulate the immune system and more. These bacteria feed off a few different foods, one of the main types being fruit and vegetables. The more portions and greater variety of fruit and vegetables you can consume each day, the stronger your gut health will be.
One of the best added benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables? More plants within a daily intake will naturally result in a lower intake of unhealthy foods, an apple before lunch can reduce calorie intake by around 15%.
Practical ways to start:
- Add a handful of dried lentils to your rice before cooking
- Stock your freezer with frozen peas and spinach for easy to add, nutrient dense vegetables
- Roast a tray of vegetables at the beginning of the week for quick added options for the rest of the week
- Be experimental, no one likes bland food. Try different cooking methods or added components, a drizzle of tahini over roasted cabbage or drizzle honey over roasted root vegetables
- Vegetable, bean and legume-based dips are an easy way to add an extra portion
If you’re sitting at 5-a-day already, set yourself the challenge of adding in more.
If you’re nowhere near 5-a-day, then the only way is up. Start small and be realistic by adding an extra portion each week until it’s harder to not include it.
For more advice regarding nutrition or general lifestyle; visit our website and book a chat.
Always in your corner,
Jonathan and Rachel, Nutritionists at The Family Chemist
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