Does eating fruits and vegetables really matter to your health? The answer is a resounding yes. Colorful plant foods are rich in nutrients that protect your body from disease and help it function at its best.
Eating fruits and vegetables matters deeply for your health, not just for preventing disease, but for living with energy, mental clarity, and resilience. Every color on your plate adds a layer of protection for your body. And, variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy, so eating different ones every day is key. That is the easy part.
I wanted to understand why this is true. What do fruits and vegetables do in the body that make it healthier? Let's break it down.
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Fruits and Vegetables vs Total Years of Healthy Life
You may not truly believe that what you eat impacts your health because you don't experience your diet's impacts in a measurable way day by day. But, in one particularly far-reaching study, scientists measured, across 195 countries:
- How diet influences how long people live
- The number of years of healthy life lost to disease or injury
- How many years they lived with a disability, and
- The number of deaths attributable to diet.
Their systematic evaluation of dietary consumption patterns provides a comprehensive picture of the health effects of poor dietary habits at the population level. They found that improvement of diet could potentially prevent one in every five deaths globally.
Suboptimal diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risks globally
Suboptimal diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risks globally. This fact alone highlights the need to improve what we eat. Although sodium, sugar, and fat have been in the press a lot, this study found that the leading dietary risk factors for mortality are diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, low in fruit, low in nuts and seeds, low in vegetables, and low in omega-3 fatty acids; each accounting for more than 2% of global deaths.
So, let's talk about why eating fruits and vegetables matter.
Fruits & Vegetables are Packed with Protective Nutrients
- Vitamins: Vitamins are essential nutrients that the body needs to function properly, grow, and develop. For instance, Vitamin C helps the immune system work properly by supporting the production of white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting off infections. It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals, which can weaken the immune system. Get the whole list here.
- Minerals: Minerals are essential nutrients that regulate various physiological functions. These include bone development, enzyme function, nerve signaling, and the immune response, among many others. Maintaining balance of essential and trace mineral levels is key for good health. Learn more about minerals here.
- Fiber: A high-fiber diet lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and is linked with lower incidences of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Eating adequate fiber also supports the immune system and protects against inflammation by serving as a food source for beneficial bacteria in the gut. Read more about that here and below.
- Antioxidants and Phytonutrients: "Antioxidant" is a general term for any compound that can counteract unstable molecules called free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of cells. Plants are also full of bioactive compounds known as phytochemicals (or phytonutrients), many of which seem to have antioxidant properties as well. Read more about how these chemicals support your health.
They Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease
Multiple high-quality studies have demonstrated a strong association between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduced risk of chronic diseases. While establishing direct causality in nutrition research is complex, the consistency and strength of these findings across diverse populations provide compelling evidence supporting the protective role of fruits and vegetables in health.
- A comprehensive analysis of 95 prospective studies found that each 200g/day increase in fruit and vegetable intake was associated with significant reductions in the risk of coronary heart disease (8%), stroke (16%), cardiovascular disease (8%) and all-cause mortality (10%). The study estimated that 5.6 to 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be attributed to fruit and vegetable intake below 500–800g/day.
- A study published in the American Journal of Clinical nutrition leverages the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) encompassing over 100,000 participants, to show that high flavonoid intake is linked to a lower risk of physical frailty, poor mental health, and reduced physical function as people age.
- The NHS and HPFS studies previoiusly showed that consuming approximately five servings of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with the lowest mortality risk though their study noted that higher intakes did not confer additional benefits.
- An analysis by The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that each additional serving of fruits and vegetables per day is linked to a 4–5% reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Specifically, the risk of stroke decreased by 32% for each additional 200g of fruit consumed daily.
- The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables significantly lowers blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Participants following the DASH diet experienced reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to a control diet.
They Support a Health Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms—mainly bacteria, but also fungi, viruses, and archaea—that live in your digestive tract, primarily in the large intestine. These microbes are not just passive residents; they actively interact with your body in profound ways.
- Supports your immune function: ~70% of the immune function is housed in the gut. Beneficial microbes help train the immune system to distinguish between harmful invaders and harmless substances. A balanced microbiome reduces chronic low-grade inflammation, which is a major contributor to heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
- Reduces inflammation: A diverse gut microbiome produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate from fermenting dietary fiber. SCFAs help maintain the gut barrier, reduce inflammation, and regulate immune responses.
- Enhances nutrient absorption: Gut bacteria aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin K, and minerals like magnesium and calcium. They can even synthesize some nutrients that the body cannot produce on its own.
- Protects against harmful pathogens: A healthy microbiome competes with and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and yeast. This colonization resistance is key to preventing infections.
- Supports mental health (via the gut-brain axis): Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin (90% of which is made in the gut), GABA, and dopamine. A healthy microbiome help to lower rates of anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
- Improves metabolic health: Dysbiosis (imbalance in the microbiome) is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance. Healthy microbes influence energy harvest from food and regulate appetite hormones like leptin and ghrelin.
- Maintains gut barrier integrity: A healthy microbiome helps preserve the intestinal lining and preventing "leaky gut." So-called "leaky gut" is when undigested food particles and toxins enter the bloodstream and trigger systemic inflammation.
Takeaway: A healthy gut = a healthy you.
They Improve Brain and Mood Health
Fruits and vegetables help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Diets high in produce help:
- Lower rates of depression
- Cognitive function (thinking, learning, remembering, problem-solving)
- Reduce risk of dementia
The Bottom Line
Eating fruits and vegetables does matter for your health. It matters not just for preventing disease, but for living with energy, mental clarity, and resilience. Every color on your plate adds a layer of protection for your body.
Fruit and Vegetable Recipes You Might Like
Looking for fruit and vegetable recipes to try? Start with these:
Ideas to Consider
Explore additional articles and recipes on the site to continue your colorful journey:
Tenley Carp says
This is an incredibly interesting post - thanks for the really great and super important info!!!