Elixir of Longer Life

We all remember aspects of our childhood days and one is always in just about everyone's mind. Mom, telling us to eat our veggies and have fruit instead of candy.

We all thought that was mom just being a mom. Now researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, proved mom was right. New research shows that mom's nagging extends our life at least where fruit and vegetables are concerned.

Even those this new study cannot prove conclusively that consuming more vegetables automatically increases the life span it does aide in other benefits. For example, those who consume lots of fruit and vegetables do have a healthier lifestyle in general.

According to Dr. Xianglan Zhang, researcher of the study, comments that the study provides powerful support for the current recommendation of increased vegetable consumption to promote overall longevity and cardiovascular health.

Plants from the mustard family which include broccoli and cauliflower are particularly beneficial. The vegetables from this family are high in vitamin C, fiber, glucosinolates which lower cancer risk and other nutrients which may give health benefits.

A survey conducted among nearly 135,000 adults from Shanghai, China had filled out questionnaires in regards to eating habits and health history. Researchers then divided them into five categories based upon how much produce was consumed.

Over a period of five years, four percent of people had died. Among those who consumed the most fruits or vegetables had a 15 percent less likely chance to die over that time frame in comparison to those who consumed the least amount.

When it came to the mustard family vegetables, there was an immense difference in death rates between those with high and low consumption amounts.

Researchers also discovered a similar pattern when they had taken a look at people dying from heart disease, which was around one quarter of the deaths. However, they found no evidence that the consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated to cancer risk.

Dr. Lydia Bazzano, of the Tulane University of Health Sciences in New Orleans and was not a researcher of the study had noted that the results from the study were promising. However, it does not prove that consuming fruits and vegetables increases life.

Researchers did attempt to omit alternative explanations such as age, exercise, weight, vitamin usage and smoking. They did acknowledge other factors can be at work.

Regardless, researchers are still advocating that people should consume more produce, in particular those from the mustard family, as a step up to healthier and longer lives.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. More than 600,000 deaths occur each year in the United States, according to the CDC. They are recommending consuming two or four cups of fruits and vegetables each day.

Let's face it there is not much room to debate the consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables. Among the benefits lower blood pressure, decrease risk of heart disease, stroke and maybe some cancers, lower risk of eye and digestive issues.

Sources:

Fit Day

MSNBC News

Harvard Education