Twice-monthly health columns are by a practicing cardiologist, clinical professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine and founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Bingham Farms. He's an author and has appeared on national TV, including "Dr. Oz" and "The Doctors Show."
Dr. Joel Kahn: "Fill at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal."
By Dr. Joel Kahn
Living a long life absent medical issues like heart attacks, lung diseases, strokes, dementia, cancer and diabetes is a goal not yet realized by enough people. But there's hope.
New research from the Harvard School of Public Health indicates a path to better health that can start today and is available and inexpensive: Everyone needs to eat two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables a day to get the job done. Only one in 10 adults nationally are achieving this important goal.
Harvard researchers have been following over 100,000 nurses and doctors nationally for over 30 years, and have collected detailed information on their life habits. They also gathered other studies around the world, adding nearly 2 million research participants. The findings overall were:
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Intake of about five servings of fruits and vegetables daily is associated with the lowest risk of death. Eating more than that doesn't show added benefit.
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About two servings daily of fruits and three servings daily of vegetables are associated with the greatest longevity.
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Participants who consumed five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, compared to those who only had two servings, had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes; a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke; a 10% lower risk of death from cancer; and a 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Not all foods considered to be fruits and vegetables offered the same benefits. For example: Starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, fruit juices and potatoes were not associated with reduced risk of death from all causes or specific chronic diseases.
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On the other hand, green leafy vegetables, including spinach, lettuce and kale, and fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries and carrots, showed benefits.
My recommendation is to fill at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal. The new research from Harvard provides strong evidence of lifelong benefits of doing so.
Earlier columns by Dr. Joel Kahn
- Managing Stress With Breath in These Challenging Times
- All Vitamins Are Not Worthless -- Here's One Worth Considering
- In Heart Month, Get These Tests Before it's Too Late
- Look at the Powerful Health Advantages of a Vegan Diet
- 5 Odd Clues to Heart Disease Not to Miss
- Why a Surgical Second Opinion Is the First Choice
