Eating more fruits and veggies for 3 months raises the level of folate (a B vitamin) in the blood by 15% in people who used to eat very little of them, helping their body make healthy cells.

When people who don't eat much fruit or veggies start eating about 8 servings a day for 3 months, the level of vitamin C in their blood goes up by 35%, meaning their body gets more of this important nutrient.

Eating more fruits and veggies for 3 months doesn’t lower blood pressure, cholesterol, or sugar levels—or make arteries less stiff—in healthy people who were already eating poorly.

Eating more fruits and vegetables for 3 months makes the level of alpha-carotene—a plant nutrient—in the blood go up by 50% in people who didn’t eat much before.

When people eat a lot more fruits and veggies for 3 months, the levels of two important plant pigments—beta-carotene and lutein—in their blood jump by 70%, showing their body is absorbing more of these beneficial compounds.