health benefits of fruits and vegetables

Health Benefits - 5 A DAY: "The health benefits of fruits and vegetables.
Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.[3-5] It has been estimated that eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day could reduce the risk of deaths from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer by up to 20%.[1]
It has been estimated that diet might contribute to the development of one-third of all cancers, and that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is the second most important cancer prevention strategy, after reducing smoking.[2] In 1998, the Department of Health's Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy and Nutrition reviewed the evidence and concluded that higher vegetable consumption would reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and gastric cancer. There was also weakly consistent evidence that higher fruit and vegetable consumption would reduce the risk of breast cancer. These cancers combined represent about 18% of the cancer burden in men and about 30% in women.[4]"