Find five-a-day a struggle? Now experts say you should eat ten to ward off cancer

THE five-a-day mantra to get us all to eat more healthily has been the official advice for decades.

But now experts are recommending ten portions of fruit and vegetables to ward off disease. This would prevent 7,200 cancer deaths and almost 14,000 from stroke every year, they claim.

Researchers from Imperial College London found ten 80g portions of fruit and veg may cut the risk of cancer by 13 per cent and heart disease by 24 per cent.

Lead author Dr Dagfinn Aune said: ‘Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system. This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold.

‘For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.’

He added: ‘I think people should try to do better than five if they can. There do seem to be benefits from a higher intake.’

The NHS is desperate to get people to eat their five-a-day, emphasising that fruit and vegetables can be juiced, canned or frozen. The UK average is four portions a day, with just a quarter of men aged 19 to 64 hitting the target, and 28 per cent of women.

The researchers analysed data from 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake, finding that ten servings cut the risk of dying prematurely by almost a third.

The authors estimate that while five-aday could prevent 32,000 premature deaths from all causes in the UK, ten-a-day could prevent 53,000.

The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also identified which fruit and vegetables provided the best protection against disease. Apples, pears and citrus fruits may help protect against heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and early death. Salads and leafy vegetables have the same effect.

Victoria Taylor, of the British Heart Foundation, which recommends five-a-day, said: ‘It is inevitable that the question will be asked about whether our guidelines need to change. However, there is no nutritional benefit in a guideline that is not followed.

‘Increasing the recommended fruit and vegetable intake to ten portions a day will not change the fact that only around a quarter of adults in the UK are achieving the five-a-day target.’