If you want more life, eat more fruits and veggies, especially veggies! That is the conclusion from a large study that followed the eating habits of over 65,000 British adults over a 12-year period. Study subjects who consumed the most fruits and veggies, in this case seven or more servings a day, were 42 percent less likely to die at any age vs. those consuming less than one serving a day.

There was a direct dose response relationship with vegetables providing a greater effect than fruits. In fact, for each additional daily serving of veggies there was a 16 percent reduction in death risk! The lead investigator noted, “We all know that eating fruits and vegetables is healthy, but the size of the effect is staggering.”

Please note that drinking fruit juice showed no benefits and eating canned fruit (often a rich source of sugar) was linked to a 17% higher death risk per daily serving. (J Epidemiol Community Health, 31 March 2014 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2013-203500)

I remain awestruck with the mountain of science confirming the sensational benefits of eating fruits and veggies, and encourage you to join me in eating lots as a sure-fire means to live life.

For additional produce inspiration, read my award-winning books Eat Right for Life and The Cookbook Companion – order the combo and we’ll send you a free, laminated Grocery Shopping Guide ($10 value)!