Fruits and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet. Reduced fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to poor health and increased risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). An estimated 5.2 million deaths worldwide were attributable to inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption in 2013. 
 
 Including fruits and vegetables as part of the daily diet may reduce the risk of some NCDs including cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. More limited evidence suggests that when consumed as part of a healthy diet low in fat, sugars and salt/sodium, fruits and vegetables may also help to prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of obesity, an independent risk-factor for NCDs. 
 
 Moreover, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, dietary fibre and a host of beneficial non-nutrient substances including plant sterols, flavonoids and other antioxidants and consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables helps to ensure an adequate intake of many of these essential nutrients. ||||| Image copyright iStock 
 
 Eating loads of fruit and vegetables - 10 portions a day - may give us longer lives, say researchers. 
 
 The study, by Imperial College London, calculated such eating habits could prevent 7.8 million premature deaths each year. 
 
 The team also identified specific fruit and veg that reduced the risk of cancer and heart disease. 
 
 The analysis showed even small amounts had a health boon, but more is even better. 
 
 A portion counts as 80g (3oz) of fruit or veg - the equivalent of a small banana, a pear or three heaped tablespoons of spinach or peas. 
 
 What counts as five-a-day? 
 
 The conclusions were made by pooling data on 95 separate studies, involving two million people's eating habits. 
 
 Lower risks of cancer were linked to eating: 
 
 green veg (eg spinach) 
 
 yellow veg (eg peppers) 
 
 cruciferous vegetables (eg cauliflower). 
 
 Lower risks of heart disease and strokes were linked to eating: 
 
 apples 
 
 pears 
 
 citrus fruits 
 
 salads 
 
 green leafy vegetables (eg lettuce) 
 
 cruciferous veg 
 
 Image caption Harriet is a big fan of spinach 
 
 Harriet Micallef, from Chippenham, says she often manages eight to 10 portions a day and has multiple portions of spinach every day. 
 
 She told the BBC: "I have a lot, I don't ever have a meal without veg or salad so eight to 10 portions is a regular thing." 
 
 She starts her day with a veg-packed omelette containing spinach and sometimes avocado or tomatoes. 
 
 Harriet's salad-based lunch is also packed with a mix of veg and her evening meals tend to be stir fries or stews. 
 
 Snacks during the day include blended fruit smoothies or peppers dipped in hummus. 
 
 She added: "It's definitely healthy, if you've got loads of colours on your plate then you're pretty much okay." 
 
 The results, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also assessed the risk of dying before your time. 
 
 Compared with eating no fruit or veg a day, it showed: 
 
 200g cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13% while 800g cut the risk by 28% 
 
 200g cut the risk of cancer by 4%, while 800g cut the risk by 13% 
 
 200g cut the risk of a premature death by 15%, while 800g cut the risk by 31% 
 
 The researchers do not know if eating even more fruit and veg would have even greater health benefits as there is little evidence out there to review. 
 
 Dr Dagfinn Aune, one of the researchers, said: "Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system. 
 
 "This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. 
 
 "For instance, they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage and lead to a reduction in cancer risk." 
 
 However, many people struggle to even eat the five a day (400g) recommended by the World Health Organization. 
 
 In the UK, only about one in three people eats enough. 
 
 Image caption Heather is a vegan who loves sweet potato curry 
 
 Heather Saunders, 24 and from Oxford, routinely manages nine or 10 portions a day since becoming vegan. 
 
 She has two pieces of fruit with breakfast, a "massive pot" of roasted vegetables at lunch and then at least four vegetables in curries or chillies in the evening. 
 
 She told the BBC: "It is about making a conscious decision, I feel fuelling myself with plant-based foods is a more healthy way to sustain myself." 
 
 Her tips for anyone trying to eat more is to do it gently: "Maybe decide to have one or two meat-free days a week and phase more veg in, I quite like a sweet potato curry with spinach and chickpeas." 
 
 Dr Aune said the findings did not mean the five-a-day message needed to change. 
 
 He told the BBC: "There are many different considerations if changing policy, it's not just the health effects - is it feasible? 
 
 "But our findings are quite clear in that they do support five a day, but there are even some further benefits for higher intakes." 
 
 Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: "The five-a-day target is the foundation of a healthy balanced diet and is an achievable way to help prevent a number of diseases. 
 
 "Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable... adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation." 
 
 Your questions answered 
 
 Jonathan Shorney asked: "I eat a lot of apples, but that amounts to a lot of sugar. Could that amount of sugar be harmful?" 
 
 Sugar seems to have become public enemy number one in the past few years. But it is important to remember the "war on sugar" is actually a "war on free sugar". 
 
 This includes sugars added to food as well as honey or those liberated in making fruit juices. 
 
 However, this does not include any naturally occurring sugars in fresh fruit and vegetables and the World Health Organization says "there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars". 
 
 Mike asked: "Do pulses contribute to the 10? 
 
 Yes they do. All kinds of beans from kidney to cannellini as well as lentils count as a single portion according to Public Health England. 
 
 Gary Kruger asked: "Should fruit and vegetables be heavily subsidised by the government to encourage further consumption? 
 
 This is not being seriously considered, but something kind of similar is happening. 
 
 Rather than making the healthy stuff cheaper, a sugar tax will make sugar-sweetened beverages more expensive with the aim of shifting buying habits. 
 
 There is no VAT on fruit and veg, but the British Medical Association has called for the government to go further and use the proceeds of a sugar tax to discount fruit and veg. 
 
 However, it is not clear how big a health impact there could be without knowing who it would be for (everyone or just the poor), how big the discount would be and then how that would change shopping habits. 
 
 Harriet, who started cooking family meals at the age of 12, thinks more should be done to get children eating more. 
 
 "I think it comes from schooling and the traditional British meat and two veg. 
 
 "I think if you teach children to always have something green on their plate in addition then they'll naturally start having more. 
 
 "There's just so many different veg that people don't have like bean sprouts and chard." 
 
 Not all of the 95 studies that were analysed fully accounted for other aspects of lifestyle, such as exercise levels, that could also play a role in prolonging lives. 
 
 However, Dr Aune said the conclusions were "quite robust". 
 
 Follow James on Twitter. ||||| A fruit and vegetable intake above five-a-day shows major benefit in reducing the chance of heart attack, stroke, cancer and early death. 
 
 This is the finding of new research, led by scientists from Imperial College London, which analysed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake. 
 
 The team found that although even the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduced disease risk, the greatest benefit came from eating 800g a day (roughly equivalent to ten portions - one portion of fruit or vegetables if defined as 80g). 
 
 
 
 The study, which was a meta-analysis of all available research in populations worldwide, included up to 2 million people, 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. 
 
 
 
 In the research, which is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the team estimate approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year if people ate 10 portions, or 800 g, of fruit and vegetables a day. 
 
 
 
 The team also analysed which types of fruit and vegetables provided the greatest protection against disease. 
 
 
 
 Dr Dagfinn Aune, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial explained: "We wanted to investigate how much fruit and vegetables you need to eat to gain the maximum protection against disease, and premature death. Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better." 
 
 REDUCING DISEASE RISK 
 
 The results revealed that even a daily intake of 200g was associated with a 16 per cent reduced risk of heart disease, an 18 per cent reduced risk of stroke, and a 13 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. 
 
 
 
 This amount, which is equivalent to two and a half portions, was also associated with 4 per cent reduced risk in cancer risk, and 15 per cent reduction in the risk of premature death. 
 
 Further benefits were observed with higher intakes. Eating up to 800g fruit and vegetables a day – or 10 portions – was associated with: 
 
 a 24 per cent reduced risk of heart disease 
 
 a 33 per cent reduced risk of stroke 
 
 a 28 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease 
 
 a 13 per cent reduced risk of total cancer 
 
 and a 31 per cent reduction in dying prematurely 
 
 This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating any fruit and vegetables. 
 
 The current UK guidelines are to eat at least five portions or 400g per day. However fewer than one in three UK adults are thought to meet this target. 
 
 
 
 The team were not able to investigate intakes greater than 800 g a day, as this was the high end of the range across studies. 
 
 
 
 An 80g portion of fruit and vegetables equals approximately one small banana, apple, pear or large mandarin. Three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as spinach, peas, broccoli or cauliflower count as a portion. 
 
 Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better – Dr Dagfinn Aune Study author 
 
 The researchers also examined the types of fruit and vegetables that may reduce the risk of specific diseases. 
 
 
 
 They found the following fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and early death: apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and chicory, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. They also found the following may reduce cancer risk: green vegetables, such as spinach or green beans, yellow vegetables, such as peppers and carrots, and cruciferous vegetables. 
 
 
 
 Similar associations were observed for raw and cooked vegetables in relation to early death, however, additional studies are needed on specific types of fruits and vegetables and preparation methods. The team say the number of studies was more limited for these analyses, and the possibility that other specific fruits and vegetables may also reduce risk cannot be excluded. 
 
 
 
 Dr Aune said that several potential mechanisms could explain why fruit and vegetables have such profound health benefits: "Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system. This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk." 
 
 
 
 He added that compounds called glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, activate enzymes that may help prevent cancer. Furthermore fruit and vegetables may also have a beneficial effect on the naturally-occurring bacteria in our gut. 
 
 
 
 The vast array of beneficial compounds cannot be easily replicated in a pill, he said: "Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial is health. This is why it is important to eat whole plant foods to get the benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements (which have not been shown to reduce disease risk)." 
 
 
 
 In the analysis, the team took into account other factors, such as a person's weight, smoking, physical activity levels, and overall diet, but still found that fruit and vegetables were beneficial. 
 
 
 
 Dr Aune added: "We need further research into the effects of specific types of fruits and vegetables and preparation methods of fruit and vegetables. We also need more research on the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake with causes of death other than cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, it is clear from this work that a high intake of fruit and vegetables hold tremendous health benefits, and we should try to increase their intake in our diet." 
 
 - 
 
 'Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose response meta-analysis of prospective studies' by D. Aune et al is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
– If you've struggled to meet the World Health Organization's five-a-day fruits and veggies recommendation, you may want to reassess your consumption strategy. An Imperial College London study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has found that doubling the current suggestion to 10 servings a day could stave off 7.8 million early deaths annually if people followed the new formula, the BBC reports. The study also pinpointed specific fruits and veggies that may help prevent heart disease and stroke (including apples, citrus fruits, and the cruciferous family of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage) and cancer (spinach, peppers, and carrots, among others). The health boost from these victuals may come from the "complex network of nutrients they hold," says study author Dagfinn Aune. The mega-study examined 95 separate studies that covered up to 2 million people and examined tens of thousands of different types of disease cases and 94,000 deaths. Researchers found upping fruit and veggie intake to about 28 ounces a day (a 10-serving equivalent) was tied to a 24% reduced risk of heart disease, a 13% decreased risk of all cancers, and a 31% slashing of premature deaths. Sarah Toule, head of health info at the World Cancer Research Fund, says not to go bananas if you can't hit that magic 10 each day—simply start with the baseline of five servings and try to sneak in a few extra whenever you can, maybe by "swapping one of your naughty snacks for a piece of fruit," she tells the Guardian. (At the very worst, you could end up much happier.)