Study suggests guideline of eating five fruit and veg a day should be doubled to 10

The 'five a day' rule advising people to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day was first introduced by the Department of Health in the winter of 2002-2003, but now research by Imperial College London suggests this guidance should be doubled to 10 portions to decrease the chance of disease.

As the Daily Telegraph reports, the study found that consuming 800g of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce a person's chance of having a stroke by a third, the risk of heart disease could drop by around 24% and it could also help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The researchers also claim the new rule could prevent nearly eight million premature deaths worldwide.

For the study, researchers from the public research university analysed data from 95 studies concerning fruit and vegetable intake, with the aim of working out exactly what a person would need to eat to gain the maximum protection against disease.

Although the recommended guideline of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day was found to reduce disease risk, the team found the greatest benefit came from eating 10 portions, when compared to people who ate none at all.

However, nutritionists have warned that telling people to eat more portions of fruit and veg could result in added pressure and create "unrealistic expectations".

Chief nutritionist at Public Health England, Dr Alison Tedstone, said: "Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable, two thirds of adults currently don't consume the recommended minimum of 5-A-Day.

"Adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation."