Fruits and Vegetables Lead to Longer Life, Study Finds

Researchers have tested the correlation between an anti-inflammatory diet and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the past, but recently they have been investigating how an anti-inflammatory diet may help you live longer. For those that follow this diet, they will be including foods that are high in antioxidants like fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens and berries. In order to understand these relationships, a study was conducted, examining the influence of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, high in fruits and vegetables, and its association with mortality rates and survival time.

The study included 68,273 Swedish women and men ranging from 45 to 83 years old and expanded over a 16 year time period. The potential of the anti-inflammatory diet was investigated using an index that includes 5  pro-inflammatory foods and 11 foods that have anti-inflammatory qualities. After the 16 year time period, a follow-up was conducted.

Over the course of almost two decades, 16,088 deaths were recorded with 5,980 deaths caused by cardiovascular related incidents and 5,252 deaths due to cancer. Participants in the study that were consuming higher levels of anti-inflammatory foods versus lower doses of pro-inflammatory foods had lower risks of all-cause mortality, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

This research was published by the Journal of Internal Medicine, and concluded that an anti-inflammatory diet high in antioxidants has the potential to reduce heart disease and cancer mortality and help you live a longer, healthier life in the process!

Eager to increase your fruit and vegetable intake after reading this study?

If you are looking to be the healthiest version of you that you can be, why not up your fruit and veg intake? We have some delicious recipes from our Food Monster App that will help get you started!

Breakfast Quinoa Fruit Salad

Image Source: Breakfast Quinoa Fruit Salad 

This breakfast fruit salad by Julie Van den Kerchove is loaded with antioxidants and fiber. Feel free to experiment with different types of fruit, but fresh berries work really nicely with this flavorful quinoa!

Smoky Chickpea and Watercress Salad with Mango

Image Source: Smoky Chickpea and Watercress Salad

This salad is loaded with flavor, including roasted, smoky chickpeas packed with protein and fiber, a sweet, slight smoky dressing, juicy mango, and creamy avocado! It’s the perfect way to get your fruits and vegetables in one meal!

Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens

Image Source: Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens

This collard green recipe by Courtney West is a tasty way to get your dark leafy greens. Braising the collard greens with coconut milk and fragrant spices really brings it to life.

For more like An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Checklist That Can Transform Your Life, we recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 10,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out! 

Lead Image Source: Jan Fidler/Flickr