People who eat two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day have a lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who eat less, but eating more doesn’t help much beyond that.

Scientific Claim

Consuming 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables daily is associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, with a 12% reduction compared to 2 servings total per day, indicating a specific benefit pattern for heart health.

Original Statement

“daily intake of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables was associated with hazard ratios (95% CI) of 0.88 (0.83–0.94) for CVD mortality... The thresholds of risk reduction in mortality were 2 servings daily for fruit intake and 3 servings daily for vegetable intake.”

From study:Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim correctly uses 'associated with' and reflects the observed hazard ratios without implying causation, aligning with the observational design.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

Eating 2 fruits and 3 veggies a day lowers your risk of dying from heart disease by about 12% compared to eating just 2 servings total—and eating more than that doesn’t help much more.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality

Score: 66

DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.120.048996

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