More than 12 million South African women consume less vegetables and fruit than recommended by the World Health Organisation – a shocking figure that might in fact be directly responsible for almost 22 000 adult deaths a year. This figure could be dramatically improved upon through the inclusion of just five daily servings of vegetables and fruit, as advocated by the 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST.
 
There is no doubt that every woman wants to do the best she can for her and her family’s  health and wellbeing, and yet so often mothers find themselves juggling work commitments and other pressures. What often suffers most is what in fact makes the biggest impact on health – family meals.
 
Convenience and ease of meal preparation has become the order of the day and this means that vegetables and fruit are often neglected or even completely omitted from the daily diet. Yet these are the powerhouses of nutrition containing vital vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that not only maintain health, but also prevent diseases.
 
Science shows that we in fact cannot replace all that the body needs with a vitamin and mineral supplement. When it comes to the effects of vegetables and fruit consumption on health, the whole may be more than the sum of the parts. That is, the benefits would appear to be more consistent when whole foods and food patterns are considered, favouring a whole food approach to diet, versus consumption of individual nutrients or supplements.
 
It is clear that we all need to strive for the 5-a-Day way of eating that ensures that we include at least five servings of a variety of vegetables and fruit every day.
 
The Medical Research Council shows that in general, women eat only about 226g of vegetables and fruit a day, as against the World Health Organisation recommendation of 400g (5 servings of 80g each).
 
This amounts to a staggering 12.5 million South African females over the age of 15 years who are affected by low vegetable and fruit intake that might in fact be directly responsible for up to 21 500 adult deaths a year. Frightening, especially when one considers the convincing link between eating vegetables and fruit and heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity and the possible links to cancer and diabetes. Even more exciting are the new areas of vegetable and fruit research that extends the benefits to bone health, aging and cognition.
 
One in four postmenopausal women will suffer from osteoporosis and women have a 40% lifetime risk of experiencing a fracture due to osteoporosis. No wonder osteoporosis has been labelled by some as a global epidemic.
 
In the past, the focus on the diet and osteoporosis has been on the importance of adequate calcium and vitamin D intake but now researchers are recognising that potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin C as well as other nutrients and phytochemicals may also have a significant effect. The best sources of these possible bone protecting substances are undoubtedly vegetables and fruit.

Studies are also suggesting that vegetables and fruit, through their powerful nutrient and phytochemical composition, also have the potential to ease several age-related processes.