It may seem like a foregone conclusion that consuming a certain amount of fruits or vegetables every day can reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and all-cause mortality. But a new meta-analysis by cardiac surgeons has further examined the specific effects of fruit or vegetable consumption on CVD risk and all-cause mortality from a quantitative perspective. The study was conducted by a team of Chinese researchers in collaboration with a Harvard professor and others. The results of the study showed that consuming 5 servings of fruits or vegetables per day helped to reduce the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, and that exceeding this threshold did not result in significant benefits. The first author of this study, Dr. C. C. C., reviewed all prospective cohort studies of fruit or vegetable intake since 1950, covering CVD risk, CVD mortality, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality. Seven of the studies focused on all-cause mortality, with results showing an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality for those who consumed one serving per day compared with those who did not consume fruits or vegetables, and a further reduction for two or three servings, but no further reduction in mortality beyond five servings. As one of the study’s corresponding authors, the professor noted that the study data showed a significant dose-response relationship between the number of servings consumed and CVD risk rates and all-cause mortality after further exceeding the 5 servings per day threshold, “with no significant reduction in risk rates beyond this value.” Fruits and Vegetables: Saving the Heart, Not Curing Cancer The study enrolled four trials on cardiovascular mortality and two trials on cancer mortality. The researchers noted a significant negative association between fruit and vegetable consumption and CVD mortality, while fruit and vegetable consumption was not associated with a reduction in cancer mortality. The CVD mortality statistics showed that for every additional serving of fruit or vegetables, the risk of CVD mortality was reduced by about 4%, up to a maximum of 5 servings. The reduction was 5% for each additional serving of fruit and 4% for vegetables. This study confirms previous studies that have shown no correlation between fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduction in cancer mortality, and the researchers believe that this may be explained by the fact that different types of food have different effects on different cancers. All in all, the meta-analysis was very creative, and the researchers gave us a clear picture of food intake, and that “increasing fruit or vegetable intake does reduce all-cause and CVD mortality.” And a “threshold” for portion intake could guide people to optimally regulate their dietary habits.