LERATO LELIA
A large study that was done in China revealed that 1in5 of the study’s participants eat fruit everyday and the ones that ate at least one fruit a day were 40percent less likely to get heart disease. Registered Dietitian at the heart and stroke foundation, Gabriel Eksteen, said these findings were not surprising and it’s not just fruits that will reduce your risk of heart disease but vegetables as well.
“As far as fruits and vegetables go, they seem to have a very similar effect on your heart health. So whether it is fruits or vegetables, it does not really matter. Both of them are rich in all sorts of nutrients, rich in fibre. So the more colourful and the more varied your diet is in fruits and vegetables, the better it is for your heart health,” said Eksteen.
Eksteen added that South Africans consume only 3 portions of fruit and vegetables a day which is lower than the expected five portions. Surveys done in the country have revealed that South Africans eat more vegetables than fruits which could be attributed to the fact that fruits can be more expensive than vegetables.
