Fruit’s the way to go!

| 2 February 2015
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An epic, 24-year study of over 130,000 people focused on fruit and vegetable intake (including pulses) and body weight. The results showed that increased fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with good, long-term weight management. The benefits were specifically greater for fruits compared to vegetables and strongest for berries, apples and pears, tofu and soya products, cauliflower, cruciferous and green leafy vegetables.

In general, the intake of high fibre, non-starchy (everything apart from potatoes, corn, pumpkins) fruit and vegetables helps to maintain healthy weight, sugar metabolism and does not contribute to fat storage.

Bertoia et al. 2015. Changes in Intake of Fruits and Vegetables and Weight Change in United States Men and Women Followed for Up to 24 Years: Analysis from Three Prospective Cohort Studies. PLoS Medicine. 12 (9) e1001878.

About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
I joined Viva! as a health campaigner in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. My scientific training helped me research and write numerous reports, guides and fact sheets for Viva! including Meat the Truth, Fish-Free for Life, One in Nine (breast cancer and diet) and the substantial report on the detrimental health effects of consuming dairy; White Lies. This accompanied Viva!’s report The Dark Side of Dairy which spelt out the inherent cruelty of dairy farming. We were the first UK group to take on the dairy industry in this way, and many of our supporters go vegan after reading these reports.

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