More veggies boost vitamins but don't fix health right away
Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change: a randomised trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Eating more fruits and veggies increased sugar intake by 25%—without people realizing it.
Most people assume cutting processed food = less sugar. But swapping chips for bananas and juice can actually raise sugar intake—making ‘healthy’ diets riskier than expected.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to eat more fruits and veggies, start with 1 extra serving per day—not 8. Focus on variety, not volume.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Eating more fruits and veggies increased sugar intake by 25%—without people realizing it.
Most people assume cutting processed food = less sugar. But swapping chips for bananas and juice can actually raise sugar intake—making ‘healthy’ diets riskier than expected.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to eat more fruits and veggies, start with 1 extra serving per day—not 8. Focus on variety, not volume.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Year
2017
Authors
S. Duthie, G. Duthie, W. Russell, J. Kyle, J. Macdiarmid, V. Rungapamestry, Sylvia Stephen, Cristina Megías-Baeza, J. Kaniewska, Lindsey Shaw, L. Milne, D. Bremner, K. Ross, P. Morrice, L. Pirie, G. Horgan, C. Bestwick
Related Content
Claims (10)
Even though eating more fruits and veggies boosts certain nutrients, it doesn’t make the body’s overall ability to fight off cell damage from oxidation any stronger in healthy people.
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.
Even after eating a lot of fruits and veggies for 3 months, most people go back to eating only a little bit again a year later unless someone keeps giving them the food.
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 who don’t eat much fruit or veggies are given them for free every week, they start eating almost 8 servings a day—proving that lack of access is a big reason they don’t eat enough.