You would probably agree that some of the best advice ever given to us came from our mothers and grandmothers, especially when they told us to eat our vegetables. Studies confirm that those who consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables live a longer and healthier life. Eating a health supporting diet consisting of whole plant foods is especially important for growing children, since childhood diets influence many adult diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Dr. Michael Greger's video below highlights a study which followed people over time to "evaluate a dose-response curve between fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality." The study revealed the following points:
- "Compared to those eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day, those only eating four lose a month off their lifespan. Only three servings, lose three months. Then we start going off the cliff. At 2 servings a day we live 7 months shorter, 1 serving practically a year and a half, two years gone at half serving a day, and then three years of our lives down the drain."
- "Just a single serving of fruit, like one apple, could mean a 19 month difference between life and death. And one salad, could mean years more time on this planet."
Although this study mostly looked at people in their 50s and 60s, women in their 70s "with the most carotenoid phytonutrients in their bloodstream were twice as likely to survive five years than those with the lowest."
In a study conducted in Taiwan, "spending just 50 cents a day on fruits or vegetables appears to buy us about a 10% drop in mortality." Dr. Greger says that this is quite a bargain! He concludes saying, "Imagine if there was a drug that—without side-effects—could lower our risk of death 10%. How much do you think drug companies would charge? Probably more than 50 cents." For additional information regarding longevity, see "Reverse Aging With a Plant-Based Diet."