Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

         

123 Street Avenue, City Town, 99999

(123) 555-6789

email@address.com

 

You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.
Link to read me page with more information.

An apple a day will NOT keep the doctor away...

BLOG

MTL BIOHACK Blog. Science-backed nutrition information. Sports Nutrition.

An apple a day will NOT keep the doctor away...

Patrick Martin

Governments have been pushing for increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption for years because of their potential for prevention of various health conditions and diseases [1, 2].

frenchman.PNG

The lack of F&V consumption and disregard for government guidelines may be contributing to the rise of non-communicable disease as the leading cause for global mortality [7]. A suboptimal diet is currently the leading risk factor for non-communicable disease [4].

Simply knowing what a serving of fruit and/or vegetables (F&Vs) looks like may put you ahead of the curve.

Hint: a grape from the cheeseboard is not quite a serving…

What is a F&V serving?

Generally, half a cup of chopped vegetables or berries, a medium sized fruit, or one cup of leafy greens constitute one serving of F&Vs. Health Canada makes it real easy here.

While it may sound easy in principle, only one in five people worldwide consumed the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recommendation of five F&V servings (400g) per day in 2003 [5].

On top of that, the WHO’s recommendation of five servings/day can be considered quite low.

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends about 9 servings/day, while Health Canada recommends 7-10 servings/day for adults; Less than one percent of the global population meets these recommendations [7].

In Canada, it is estimated that almost 70% of the population doesn’t eat enough F&Vs [10]. Adolescents are worse, with about 90% of Canadian adolescents (ages 11-17) not eating enough F&Vs [8].  And this is during stages of development of great need!

F&V access and budget

Without having F&Vs as freely available as we do in our supermarkets, developing countries struggle to meet guidelines most, but you may be surprised to learn the reason may not always be financial [5].

Individuals from underprivileged neighborhoods have reported poorer access to affordable healthy foods and said they would consume more F&Vs were they more easily attainable [6].

Whether living in a poorer neighborhood or not, staying away from Tim Hortons or the fancy tapas restaurant everyone is raving about will allow more room in your budget for healthier choices.

For instance, when adolescents in Texas were monitored for their food spending, those eating at restaurants or fast food joints had higher food costs than those who did not eat out, while high or low F&V consumption did not differ in cost [11].

Learn to cook, include your family, and don’t be afraid to experiment!

A focus group of low-income women in the Montreal area said they mainly cooked pasta and rice with prepackaged sauces for fear of experimenting with new recipes [3]. Some simply said they were bad at budgeting or weren’t in the habit of choosing ‘expensive’ foods.

Research has shown that the home environment and what one study dubbed the “dietary gatekeeper” (whoever does groceries and prepares meals) has a large influence on the whole family’s health [9]. Even more reason to learn how to cook!

In fact, parental monitoring and engagement have been shown to influence F&V intake [12]. Try taking a cooking workshop with your kids!

Striking a Balance

When nutrition knowledge and cooking confidence are at a low, the risk of ruining a meal to try new recipes that include more F&Vs may seem too high.

But the possible benefits are too great to pass up: antioxidants, fibers, vitamins and minerals, the list goes on along with various health benefits such as the possible prevention of non-communicable diseases including:

  • Cardiovascular Disease (Coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension) [1, 2]
  • Cancer [1]
  • Obesity [2]
  • Diabetes [2]

And maybe even prevention of:

  • Dementia [2]
  • Osteoporosis [2]
  • Asthma [2]
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) [2]
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis [2]
  • Eye Diseases (cataracts, macular degeneration, etc.) [2]

 

Here are some neat resources if you want to read further:

-          https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/

-          https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables-nutrients-health

To Sum It Up

Try to eat at least five servings of F&V per day. As an easy reference measure, think of your fist as about one cup of F&V.

Limit restaurant meals and use the savings to experiment with new recipes and F&Vs at home.

Greater F&V consumption will help ward off non-communicable disease and foster a better food environment for adolescents to positively influence their F&V intake and health.


Lucas Roldos

LUCAS ROLDOS

is currently completing his MSc in Human Nutrition at McGill University, where he received his BSc in Nutrition Science with a sports concentration and a minor in Neuroscience. His research examines motivation for healthy behavior. 

 


Disclaimer: The information provided is meant to spread knowledge and induce interest for educational purposes. It is based on limited research. We try to pull the overall message of the literature, but further research may be necessary.  What is done with the information or suggestions is solely the consumer's decision. The information provided is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute the endorsement of any website or other sources.

Reference:

1)      Aune, D. et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all- cause mortality—a systematic review and dose- response meta-analysis of prospective studies. International Journal of Epidemiology. (2017)

2)      Boeing, H. et al. Critical review: vegetables and fruit in the prevention of chronic diseases. Eur J Nutr. (2012) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3419346/

3)      Engler-Stringer, R. Food selection and preparation practices in a group of young low-income women in Montreal. Appetite (2011). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21145934

4)      Forouzanfar, MH. et al. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. (2016) http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)00128-2/abstract

5)      Hall, JN et al. Global variability in fruit and vegetable consumption. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (2009) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19362694

6)      Jennings, A. et al. Positive effect of a targeted intervention to improve access and availability of fruit and vegetables in an area of deprivation. Health & Place (2012). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22705164

7)      Micha, R. et al. Global, regional and national consumption of major food groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis including 266 country-specific nutrition surveys worldwide. British Medical Journal. (2015) http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/9/e008705

8)      Minaker, L., & Hammond, D. Low Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Canadian Youth: Findings From the 2012/2013 Youth Smoking Survey. Journal of School Health. (2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26762825

9)      Reid, M. et al. The Obesogenic Household: Factors Influencing Dietary Gatekeeper Satisfaction with Family Diet. Psychology & Marketing (2015). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.20799/abstract

10)  Statistics Canada. Health Fact Sheets: Fruit and vegetable consumption, 2015. (2017) http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2017001/article/14764-eng.htm

11)  Vega, M et al. Food Cost Analysis Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Journal of the American Dietetic Association (2008). http://jandonline.org/article/S0002-8223(08)01195-4/pdf

12)  Ward, WL et al. Low Fruit/Vegetable Consumption in the Home: Cumulative Risk Factors in Early Childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal (2015). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-014-0661-6

 

 

 

Subscribe

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd )