Articles - Lifestyle
Reasons to Eat 5-a-Day?
The major benefit of adopting a lifestyle that includes at least 5-a-Day is not only huge long-term savings on health costs but, improved health for all – young and old, rich and poor. It is a well researched fact that people who eat a diet high in vegetables and fruit, are less likely to suffer from a wide range of illnesses.
The benefits of following the 5-A-Day eating programme have been proven in research studies around the world and a global expert consultation recently assessed the strength of evidence for the relationship between vegetables and fruit intake and health and concluded that, “with an increased consumption of these foods, there is convincing evidence of reduced risk of heart disease, a probable reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes and obesity, as well as an association with the prevention and alleviation of several micronutrient deficiencies”. No wonder the World Health Organisation (WHO) set a world goal for everyone to increase their daily intake of vegetables and fruit to at least 400g a day. This is equivalent to 5-a-Day servings of 80g of vegetables and fruit.
The International Cancer Institute estimates that 35% of cancers are diet related and that by eating the 5-a-Day way of at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit every day, cancer rates can drop as much as 20%. As a result, the 5-a-Day concept is endorsed by The Cancer Association of South Africa.
There is also very clear research to show the positive impact that eating vegetables and fruit can have on preventing heart disease. The South African Medical Research Council (MRC) has shown that our low intake of vegetables and fruit in South Africa may directly account for 35% of heart disease and 22% of stroke. Not surprisingly the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa also endorsed the 5-a-Day message.
Now there is also research linking eating vegetables and fruit to a range of other conditions such as:
- Pulmonary health
- Bone health
- Aging and cognition
- Cataracts and eye health
- Arthritis
- Diverticulosis
- Birth defects
In South Africa, the Department of Health fully supports the 5-a-Day message and one of the South African food based dietary guidelines is ‘Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit every day.’
The message is clear – here is a group of foods that we need to eat more of. Over and above striving for 5 the research also shows that variety in selecting vegetables and fruit is vital because the benefits cannot be ascribed to a single or mix of nutrients or other active substances - so the more colourful your diet, the better.
It is the colour pigments giving vegetables and fruit their wonderful array of colours that are often associated with also giving them their health benefits so we need to be eating the rainbow of vegetables and fruit colours – red, yellow, green, orange, white, blue…
Research undertaken by Markinor on behalf of 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST, shows that urban South African women know that eating plenty of vegetables and fruit is crucial to maintaining good health. In fact, they spontaneously mention vegetables and fruit as being one of, if not, the key factor for a healthy diet.
But how many of us actually do this? According to the Medical Research Council (MRC), South Africans only eat around 205 grams of fruit and vegetables per person per day. That is half the recommended amount. The same research survey by the TRUST also shows that South African women despite knowing that they are good for them and their families admit that they don’t eat sufficient of a combination of veggies and fruit. This is in line with international trends, where the most common barriers to eating vegetables and fruit are taste and convenience.
Yet it would seem that taste is really more of a perceived barrier than a reality. There’s a huge selection of different types of vegetables and fruits available in South Africa, and people just need to be encouraged to give them a go. Convenience is a global concern, as we live in a world of immediate gratification and where meals have been relegated to being a chore rather than a pleasure. We all have to realise that we can’t have our cake and eat it, if we want optimal health and wellbeing.
Interestingly enough, research by Leeds University shows that the French have a totally different attitude towards food than most – food is always prepared in the kitchen, with time taken to choose, prepare and serve meals. Perhaps South Africans need to put more effort into food preparation, and need to reassess their priorities, with a firm commitment to healthy eating after all one in three South African children are deficient in the vital vitamin A and 6% of South African children under the age of 6 years are overweight
So how do we undertake that commitment? Well, by changing our behaviour and following through to ensure that we include at least five servings of vegetables and fruit in our daily diet. Why not start today…
10 Health Reasons to Eat Your 5-a-Day
- Vegetables and fruit have always been known for their fibre, vitamins and minerals and even vegetable proteins, now we know that they contain so much more in the health giving department and the term phytochemicals is given to these until recently unknown or unidentified health promoting chemicals.
- Vegetables and fruit are naturally fat free and low in sodium and are generally low in kilojoules (energy)
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified low fruit and vegetable intake as one of the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality. Adequate vegetable and fruit consumption could help prevent many of the major chronic diseases.
- Low vegetable and fruit consumption is estimated to cause about 31% of ischaemic heart disease and 11% of stroke worldwide. In South Africa these figures are 35% and 22% respectively.
- Increasing individual vegetable and fruit intake could reduce the burden of stomach, oesophageal, lung and colorectal cancer. In South Africa 24% of oesophageal and gastric cancer can be directly linked to not eating sufficient vegetables and fruit.
- Low consumption of vegetables and fruit contributes to hunger and micronutrient malnutrition which increases the risk of mortality and morbidity throughout the lifecycle – 1 in 3 South African children do not get enough Vitamin A essential for the maintenance of good vision, normal growth & a healthy immune system.
- 1 out of 2 South African children take in less than half the recommended levels for a number of important nutrients predominantly found in vegetables and fruit.
- The Medical Research Council ranks low intake of vegetables and fruit in 10th out of 17 places for deaths attributable to 17 selected risk factors in South Africa.
- It is estimated that 2.7 million lives could potentially be saved each year if fruit and vegetable consumption was sufficiently increased.
- In South Africa the Medical Research Council states that as many as 21 467 deaths were attributable to low vegetable and fruit intake in 2000.
