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For years, we have been told that five portions of fruit and vegetables are enough to keep disease away and help us to live longer. That advice has been revised upwards. Five a day has become seven a day. A new study suggests that people who eat seven or more portions a day are healthier. Researchers studied the dietary habits of 65,000 adults over seven years. They said that there was a strong "inverse association" between fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality with people who eat up to 7-plus portions. If you eat more fruit and veg, you could live longer.

The researchers put people into five different groups, depending on what they ate. Those who ate seven or more portions a day had a 42 per cent lower risk of death than those who ate just one portion. They recommended that schools serve healthier meals and that supermarkets display cheaper produce. They warned that frozen and canned fruit was bad for you. Some experts questioned the findings of the study. One dietician said the study ignored the fact that people who eat more fruit and veg are usually richer, so they lead lifestyles that will help them live longer.