Debate: do we actually need SEVEN-a-day?
Eating seven servings of fruit and vegetables can reduce your risk of early death by nearly half, says a study from the University of London. Does that mean we all need to up our intake? We asked two nutritional experts for their verdicts...
YES says nutritionist and dietician Amanda Ursell
"The seven-a-day study is another in a long line of research that proves eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables every day protects you against illnesses like heart disease, stroke and cancer. People pooh-poohed the five-a-day advice, but it came from the World Health Organisation, and was based on large-scale studies and laboratory work, all pointing to the benefits of a diet full of fruit and veg.
"From boosting your immune system and skin to controlling blood pressure, fruit and veg pack a huge punch when it comes to keeping you healthy. They're also low in calories compared to processed and pre-packaged foods like cake and biscuits, and their soluble fibre helps fill you up. A theory called volumetrics states that we only feel satisfied after a certain volume of food, rather than a certain number of calories. So if you eat a high volume of lower-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, it's easier to control your weight.
"Canned vegetables are fine as long as they're not housed in salt, and frozen varieties often contain more nutrients than fresh ones because they're frozen while ripe, locking in many of the vitamins and minerals. A glass of juice is a great way to add one of your five, but stop at one glass; more than that won't add up to more fruit servings, but will fill you up on sugar. The only real no-no is tinned fruit, which can come in sugary syrup.
"The best advice is just to have a bit more than you're having at the moment. There are easy ways to do that. I cook broccoli, then mash it with ricotta to go with pasta, or make a sauce by slow- roasting tomatoes and olive oil for three hours at 700C, then blitzing them. If you're making risotto, use peas and mushrooms; if you're making bolognaise, fill it out with tomatoes and grated carrot; add beans to soups; chuck some salad in your sandwich; and add a banana or a handful of berries to your porridge. It all adds up."
The best advice is just to have a bit more than you're having at the moment.
Amanda's super seven
"Go for five vegetables and two fruits to hit your seven-a-day target, so you don't OD on sugar," says Amanda. Here are her favourites:
KALE Full of lutein and vitamins K, A and C so it's good for eyes and protects skin against sun damage.
GARLIC Protects against heart disease, high cholesterol and certain cancers.
CARROTS Full of beta-carotene, which builds up under skin and absorbs UV radiation.
ONIONS Sulphurous compounds help protect your immune system and heart.
RED CABBAGE Anthocyanin polyphenols and vitamin K are great for cancer prevention.
BLUEBERRIES Anthocyanins improve concentration.
STRAWBERRIES Folic acid, vitamin C and ellagic acid are good for your brain, heart and skin, and are low in calories.
NO says nutritionist Zoë Harcombe
"What isn't often mentioned is that the five-a-day suggestion was borne of a 1991 meeting between the US National Cancer Institute and fruit and vegetable producers – who stood to gain from us eating more fruit and veg. It was after this that the UK and the World Health Organisation took it on as a guideline. I believe the new seven-a-day study isn't strong enough to make a recommendation for the entire UK population. Crucially, it proves association, not causation.
"Consider this: you could look at the high fish consumption in Norway and its low divorce rate, and suggest that eating plenty of fish guarantees stronger marriages. All you're observing is a relationship, not that A causes B.
"Eating seven-a-day can be dangerous in terms of sugar consumption, if you load up on fruit and high-sugar veg. Eat five portions of fruit a day and you could have 74g of sugar. In a typical five-a-day of a banana, an apple, an orange, a portion of peas and a portion of carrots, there's 41g of sugar or 10 teaspoons. People think 'natural sugar' is OK, but sugar is sugar – your body doesn't know the difference.
Eat five portions of fruit a day and you could have a whopping 74g of sugar.
"Fruit, like ordinary granulated or caster sugar, is a combination of fructose and glucose, just with a few added vitamins and minerals. Eating too much can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity or non- alcoholic fatty liver disease. Dried fruits, smoothies and juices are even worse. People sit at their desks and munch their way through 10 dried apricots, but you'd never eat 10 fresh apricots. They make overeating sugar far too easy. Equally, you'd only manage to eat two fresh oranges, but can easily drink the juice of ten.
"The truth is, we're all hugely deficient in nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and vitamins A, D and E. So you'd be better off filling up on foods like sunflower seeds, eggs and sardines to fill those nutritional gaps, rather than loading your plate with fruit."
Zoë's real superfoods
"For optimal health, we need a total of 13 vitamins, 16 minerals, essential fats and complete proteins," says Zoë. Here's how get them:
LIVER Rich in vitamins and minerals, from vitamin A to zinc. It has four times the vitamin C of an apple.
SARDINES A small tin provides all the vitamin D we need, plus calcium and phosphorus for strong bones.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS Full of vitamin E for your immune system, eyes and skin.
EGGS Rich in all the B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K, and iron, selenium and zinc.
STEAK Zinc, iron and vitamin B12, which is good for cholesterol and energy.
DARK CHOCOLATE Packed with minerals like magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese. It's good for your heart and blood pressure.
THE VERDICT?
As Amanda says, there are loads of proven health benefits to a more plant-based diet, as long as you fill up on veg and limit your fruit servings to two or three a day. But Zoe's right too: there's, more to a healthy diet than having salad for lunch. Adding nuts, seeds, oily fish and (yep!) dark chocolate to your diet alongside veg and fruit will keep you in tip-top shape on all fronts.
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