People who eat fresh fruit daily may enjoy a huge benefit for cardiovascular health, according to a major study published yesterday.
Researchers studied some 500,000 adults in China over a seven-year period.
They conclude that a 100g portion of fruit a day – equivalent to a single banana or apple – is linked to a one third reduction in risk of cardiovascular mortality.
The researchers from Oxford University, UK, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings may be especially strong in China where most people eat little fruit, the researchers say.
The study involved adults with no previous history of cardiovascular disease or treatment for hypertension.
Professor Zhengming Chen, University of Oxford, UK, said: "It’s difficult to know whether the lower risk in people who eat more fresh fruit is because of a real protective effect.
"If it is, then widespread consumption of fresh fruit in China could prevent about half a million cardiovascular deaths a year, including 200,000 before age 70, and even larger numbers of non-fatal strokes and heart attacks."
The findings were welcomed by the British Heart Foundation, which backed the research.
Victoria Taylor, from the foundation, said: “The results of this study support the current dietary recommendations in the UK to eat more fruit and vegetables.
"While the five portions of fruit and vegetables a day recommendation has been in place for some time in the UK it’s one that we are still struggling to meet. On average we eat around four portions a day, with only around a third of adults getting their five-a-day."
New England Journal of Medicine 6 April 2016
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