Eating seven portions of fruit and veggies daily can cut risk of early death by 10pc

It is a well documented fact that eating atleast five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is the key to stay healthy, however a new study has revealed that by increasing the servings to seven portions we could decrease our risk of dying early.

Researchers have found people, who eat 569g a day- the equivalent of 7.1 portions- slash their risk of premature death by 10 per cent and live on average one year and 44 days longer, the Daily Express reported.

The Spanish research suggested that fruit and vegetables rich diet reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 15 per cent.

While eating vegetables alone significantly cuts the risk, eating just fruit doesn't.

It was revealed that raw veggies are more effective and can help reduce the risk of premature death by 16 per cent.

The study by Maria Jose Sanchez Perez, director of the Andalusian School of Public Health's Granada Cancer Registry, concluded that a combined fruit and vegetable consumption of more than 569g a day reduces the risk of mortality by 10 per cent and delays it by 1.12 years compared with a consumption of less than 249g a day.

The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.