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The science of nutrition and healthy eating
The science of nutrition and healthy eating

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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).

A graph of how fruit and veg intake reduces risk of death.
Figure 9 Number of fruit and vegetable portions in relation to risk of death

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 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ). 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.