Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may help you live longer: study finds

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British health authorities recommend eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. However, studies have shown that this amount may not be enough to increase life expectancy.

So, a review of more than 95 scientific studies determined how much fruit and vegetable consumption can reduce a person's chances of dying from diseases, writes Express. The results showed that people who ate 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day had almost a third lower risk of death than those who ate none during the studies.

Another study that followed people for thirty years, showed that the increase in life expectancy was largely due to lower rates of heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death.

A 14% reduction in cancer risk was observed with intake of 7-7.75 servings per day, with no additional benefits at higher levels of consumption. The report emphasizes that cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli, can reduce the risk of the disease.

It is believed that the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables may be related to their vitamin and mineral content. Other researchers suggest that these benefits may be due to the fiber content of plants.

It is noted that while eating 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day has been shown to be most effective against disease, lower levels of consumption are still can bring significant benefits to human health.