Don't like eating fruits? Well, you should think again. According to a recent study eating a substantial amount of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis can actually help you live life disease-free. The study stated that including at least five portions of fruits and veggies into your daily diet can actually reduce your risk of dying from various diseases including cardiovascular disease.
What's more, the study noted that the average risk of death from all health-related causes, was reduced by at least five per cent for each additional portion of fruit and vegetable a person had. It also noted that this finding was especially true for death due to cardiovascular disease; as eating up to five portions reduced the risk of death by four percent per additional portion of fruit and vegetable added to your meal.
This study is in slight contrast to the recent findings published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, that suggested that eating seven or more portions of fruits and vegetables was linked to a lower risk of death. But, the current study found that eating more than five portions did not affect a person's risk of death at all; neither making it better or worse.
About the Study:
To get this figure, a team from China and the US analysed results of 16 studies involving 833,234 participants and 56,423 deaths. Coming to the conclusion that five portions was the number you should aim to eat.
So, want to include fruits into your diet?We can help you with that. Here are inputs from our expert Deepshikha Agarwal, a Mumbai-based dietician and sports nutritionist on when you should eat what fruits.
To make it easier to choose, here's a rule you should follow. According to Deepshikha Agarwal, fruits that are high in calories are best for the mornings as they help start off your day with a powerful punch of energy. During the evenings and night, stay away from consuming fruits that are high in calories and acid content as your metabolism is much slower as the sun goes down.
Fruits you should eat in the morning
Gorge on pears, apples, musk melons, pomegranates and bananas. More importantly, avoid citrus fruits in the morning as they may cause acidity (increase the pH levels) when consumed on an empty stomach.
Your mid-meal snack (between breakfast and lunch)
Like citrus fruits? Now is when you can indulge yourself. Gorge on fruits like oranges, sweet lime and those containing high levels of vitamin C, such as cherries and strawberries. If you love mangoes, now is when you can actually have them without any guilt. A rich source of antioxidants and fibre, mangoes are also high in calories and therefore need a stronger metabolism to digest.
Feeling grubby? Here are some fruits you can have along with your cup of chai
Your metabolic rate starts to fall after 6 in the evening, therefore eating fruits that do not have too many calories is your best option. Choose between fruits like watermelon, oranges, cherries, strawberries and those high in fibre content like pears.
Fruits to help you tide through your nightly cravings
Fruits like pomegranate, apples, pears, musk melon and avocado are perfect to eat during this time of the day. They are low in calories and require very little digestion. What's more these fruits (especially pomegranate) are great diuretics and help flush out toxins from your body.
With inputs from Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti and IANS
Image source: Getty Images
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