Consumption of raw vegetables seems to reduce the risk of death over 10-18 years roughly twice as much as consumption of cooked vegetables when comparing quartiles according to a study the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition looking at Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality (the EPIC cohort).

The one-fourth of people consuming the second most amount of raw vegetables, roughly 1-2 ounces of raw vegetables per day (23-50 grams, 2nd Quartile), were 8% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of raw vegetables or 0-1 ounce per day (0-23 grams, 1st Quartile) according to this study.

By comparison, the one-fourth of people consuming the second most amount of cooked vegetables, roughly 1.8 to 3.2 ounces of cooked vegetables per day (50-91 grams, 2nd Quartile) were 4% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of cooked vegetables or 0-1.8 ounces per day (0-50 grams, 1st Quartile).

The one-fourth of people consuming the third most amount of raw vegetables, roughly 1.8 to 3.5 ounces of raw vegetables per day (50-100 grams, 3rd Quartile), were 15% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of raw vegetables or 0-1 ounce per day (0-23 grams, 1st Quartile) according to this study.

By comparison, the one-fourth of people consuming the third most amount of cooked vegetables, roughly 3.2 to 5.6 ounces of cooked vegetables per day (91-158 grams, 3rd Quartile), were 8% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of cooked vegetables or 0-1.8 ounces per day (0-50 grams, 1st Quartile).

Consumption of raw vegetables seems to reduce the risk of death over 10-18 years roughly twice as much as consumption of cooked vegetables when comparing quartiles according to a study the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition looking at Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality (the EPIC cohort).

People who consumed one-half (0.5) serving of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of one (1) years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables according to a recent study which followed 38,221 men and 33,485 women who were 45- to 83-years-old for an average of 13 years.

People who consumed one (1) serving of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of 1.7 years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed 2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of 2.5 years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of 2.8 years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed 4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of 3 years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day lived an average of 3.1 years longer than those who never consumed fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed seven (7) servings of fruits and vegetables per day were 33% less likely to die over the next 7.7 years than people eating less than one (1) serving per day according to a study from England.

This protective effect rose to 42% after excluding deaths that occurred during the first year.

“A robust inverse association exists between fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality, with benefits seen in up to 7+ portions daily,” the authors of the study concluded.

People who consumed 2-3 servings of vegetables per day were 19% less likely to die over the next 7.7 years than people eating less than one (1) serving per day according to a study from England.

People who consumed 3 servings of vegetables per day lived an average of 2.7 years longer (2 years and 8 months longer) than those who never consumed vegetables according to a recent study which followed 38,221 men and 33,485 women who were 45- to 83-years-old for an average of 13 years.

People who consumed five (5) servings of fruits and vegetables per day were 26% less likely to die during a 4.6 to 26 year follow-up compared with people who had no daily consumption of fruit and vegetables according to a meta-analysis of 16 studies.

The decreased risk of death was mainly due to a reduction in death from cardiovascular disease, and less so from a reduction in death from cancer.

“For the reduction in total mortality, we found a threshold of around five servings a day of fruit and vegetables, after which the risk of death did not reduce further,” the paper notes.

“Overall, about 10-30% lower risk of all cause mortality was found in most prospective studies comparing highest with lowest fruit and vegetable consumption.”

“This meta-analysis provides further evidence that higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of mortality from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular diseases.”

The one-fourth of people consuming the most raw vegetables, roughly 3.5 to 27 ounces of raw vegetables per day (100-771 grams, 4th Quartile), were 16% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of raw vegetables or 0-1 ounce per day (0-23 grams, 1st Quartile) according to this study.

By comparison, the one-fourth of people consuming roughly 5.6 to 27 ounces of cooked vegetables per day (158-773 grams, 4th Quartile) were 7% less likely to die over the next 10-18 years compared to the one-fourth of people consuming the least amount of cooked vegetables or 0-1.8 ounces per day (0-50 grams, 1st Quartile).

Consumption of raw vegetables seems to reduce the risk of death over 10-18 years roughly twice as much as consumption of cooked vegetables when comparing quartiles according to a study the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition looking at Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality (the EPIC cohort).

People consuming 3 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a 27% lower risk of having a stroke and a 42% lower risk of dying from a stroke during an average follow-up of 19 years compared to people consuming less than one serving of fruit and vegetables per day.

This according to a study of 9608 adults aged 25- 74-years-old participating in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study and free of cardiovascular disease at the time of their baseline examination between 1971 and 1975.

People consuming 3 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a 27% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) during an average follow-up of 19 years compared to people consuming less than one serving of fruit and vegetables per day.

This according to a study of 9608 adults aged 25- 74-years-old participating in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study and free of cardiovascular disease at the time of their baseline examination between 1971 and 1975.

People consuming 3 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a 15% lower risk of dying during an average follow-up of 19 years compared to people consuming less than one serving of fruit and vegetables per day.

This according to a study of 9608 adults aged 25- 74-years-old participating in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study and free of cardiovascular disease at the time of their baseline examination between 1971 and 1975.

Women with a high milk consumption who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk per day and less than one serving of fruits and vegetables were 2.8 times more likely to die over some number of years compared to women with a low milk consumption who consumed less than one glass of milk per day according to a study that analyzed data from food frequency questionnaires completed by 61,420 women in a Swedish cohort (1987–1990 baseline) and 36,714 women from a second survey (1997).

“Dietary antioxidant intake [from fruits and vegetables], especially in women, seems to modify the elevated death rate associated with high milk consumption,” the authors of the study concluded.

Women with a high milk consumption who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk per day and 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables were 1.6 times more likely to die over some number of years compared to women with a low milk consumption who consumed less than one glass of milk per day according to a study that analyzed data from food frequency questionnaires completed by 61,420 women in a Swedish cohort (1987–1990 baseline) and 36,714 women from a second survey (1997).

“Dietary antioxidant intake [from fruits and vegetables], especially in women, seems to modify the elevated death rate associated with high milk consumption,” the authors of the study concluded.

Men with a high milk consumption who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk per day and less than one serving of fruits and vegetables were 31% more likely to die over some number of years compared to men with a low milk consumption who consumed less than one glass of milk per day according to a study that analyzed data from food frequency questionnaires completed by 45,280 Swedish men (1998 baseline).

“Dietary antioxidant intake [from fruits and vegetables], especially in women, seems to modify the elevated death rate associated with high milk consumption,” the authors of the study concluded.

Men with a high milk consumption who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk per day and 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables were 7% more likely to die over some number of years compared to men with a low milk consumption who consumed less than one glass of milk per day according to a study that analyzed data from food frequency questionnaires completed by 45,280 Swedish men (1998 baseline).

“Dietary antioxidant intake [from fruits and vegetables], especially in women, seems to modify the elevated death rate associated with high milk consumption,” the authors of the study concluded.

People who ate legumes once or more per day had a 64% lower risk of hip fracture compared to those who ate legumes less than once a week according to the Adventist Health Study-2.

Vegetarians had a 12% lower risk of dying during a 5.8 year follow-up compared to non-vegetarians according to a study from researchers at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, USA.

“Vegetarian diets are associated with lower all-cause mortality and with some reductions in cause-specific mortality,” the authors of the study concluded.

The risk associated with different forms of vegetarianism are shown below.

Pescovegetarians—vegetarians who eat fish and seafood—had a 19% lower risk of dying during the 5.8 year follow-up than non-vegetarians according to a study from researchers at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, USA.

This type of vegetarianism was associated with greater protection against death than being a semivegetarian who sometimes eat animal products (8% lower risk of dying), lacto-ovo vegetarians who eat eggs and milk but no meat (9% lower risk of dying), and vegans who eat no animal products at all (15% lower risk of dying).

People who consumed one serving of fruit per day lived an average of 1.6 years longer (1 year and 7 months longer) than those who never consumed fruit according to a recent study which followed 38,221 men and 33,485 women who were 45- to 83-years-old for an average of 13 years.

Consuming more than one serving of fruit per day was not associated with living significantly longer compared to those consuming one serving of fruit per day.

“Consumption of [more than one] 1 serving [of] fruit [per day] was not associated with a significant increase in survival compared with consumption of 1 serving [per day],” the paper notes.

People who consumed one (1) serving of salad per day were 13% less likely to die over the next 7.7 years than people eating less than one (1) serving per day according to a study from England.

People who consumed three (3) servings of fruits per day were 10% less likely to die over the next 7.7 years than people eating less than one (1) serving per day according to a study from England.

People who consumed one (1) serving of frozen or canned fruit per day were 17% MORE likely to die over the next 7.7 years than people eating less than one (1) serving per day according to a study from England.

“South Koreans ate 300% more fruit and 10% more vegetables in 2009 compared to 1980 thanks to concerted government-led campaigns,” according to a new report titled Future Diets published in January 2014 by Overseas Development Institute.