Eat your yellows, oranges and reds
According to the results of a long-term study of 15,318 participants (published in the Archives of Internal Medicine), eating fruits and vegetables high in the powerful antioxidant alpha-carotene can lower your risk of death from any cause, including heart disease and cancer, by up to 39 per cent. Vegetables rich in alpha-carotene include yellow or orange fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, peppers, cantaloupe melon, apples, and dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, and lettuce.
Li et al., 2010. Serum a-Carotene Concentrations and Risk of Death Among US Adults: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study. Archives of Internal Medicine. 171 (6) 507-515.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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