1.3 Seven a day

Death rates appear to be reduced in people who eat more fruit and vegetables. But it is not yet clear whether more than five gives a significant additional benefit (Figure 9).

In addition, fruits may contain large quantities of sugar, which can contribute to tooth decay and can lead to obesity if the energy consumed is more than the energy used (see Section 4.1 Sugars). Vegetables generally contain much less sugar, so perhaps the advice would be better given as ‘vegetables and fruit’, rather than ‘fruit and vegetables’ to emphasise the importance of vegetables.