Five or More Servings of Fruit and Vegetables Each Day for Better Health!

This chapter discusses the health benefits of fruit and vegetables intake in daily diet. The low consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure among others. Moreover, the concentrations of CVD biomarkers, including inflammation and oxidative stress have been shown to be lower with greater amounts of intake of fruit and vegetables. The bioactive compounds found in fruit and vegetables are classified as nitrogen-containing alkaloids, phenolics and polyphenolics, sulfur-containing compounds and terpenoids. Fruits and vegetables are major sources of antioxidants, including vitamin C, carotenoids and selenium. It mentions that intake of 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day is recommended to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, stroke, cancer and obesity. It presents the results of a health survey on the proportion of intake of fruit and vegetables by adults in United States which showed an increase in the percentage of intake.