Five-a-day fruit and veg policy rubbished by obesity researcher
TWENTY years ago one of the most prevalent healthy-eating messages of modern times was dreamt up.
In 1991, the message to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day was first launched in the US – and has now become standard mantra across the globe. It was adopted as official UK policy in 2001.
But yesterday, an outspoken Welsh nutritionist labelled the five-a-day benefits a “myth” – sparking a backlash from the Wales’ chief medical officer and fellow dieticians – who insist it was more essential than ever to improve the nation’s health.
Newport-based obesity researcher Zoe Harcombe, who penned The Harcombe Diet, claimed the five-a-day concept was a “fairy story” cooked up by US companies to sell fruit and veg, and didn’t bring the benefits that its proponents claim.
She said that the mantra was the product of a meeting between the American National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a gathering of companies with a “vested interest” in selling fruit and vegetables – including potato, tomato and blueberry producers and retailers.
“That meeting produced this idea that eating fruit and veg was healthy for you,” Ms Harcombe said. “But no study had ever been done that showed that if you ate five pieces of fruit and veg that this is going to be the result.”
She said there was “almost no evidence” to suggest eating fruit and vegetables would ward off cancer or other diseases – and said that given fruit was “completely sugar”, would actually be detrimental to children’s diets.
“There was a study of half a million people by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition in 26 European countries over 20 years.
“It published last year that there was almost no discernible difference between those that ate a lot of fruit, almost a kilo, a moderate amount of 250-500g a day, or almost none at all.”
And she suggests that a more relevant message would be to eat “real foods”, suggesting liver, sardines, eggs, sunflower seeds and one dark-green, leafy vegetable would be more suitable.
But Sue Baic, a dietician, nutritionist and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, said that to abandon five-a-day would be a “dangerous” step.
“I don’t know why she would say this, because there is some really good evidence linking low fruit and veg intake to a lot of deaths worldwide.
“It’s a mechanism by which people can have fibre, potassium and antioxidants. We don’t know exactly how much effect they have, but there is so much evidence of the effect on populations of a low consumption of fruit and veg.
“The World Health Organisation says around 8% of deaths worldwide are attributable to low fruit intake.”
She also said that while the Epic study did not show there was a “clear link” with reducing the incidence of cancer, it did not show there was no link.
She added: “What this does not mean is that we should throw out five-a-day on the basis of one study.”
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: “We stand by ‘five-a-day’. There is strong evidence of the benefits of fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity, drinking alcohol sensibly and not smoking.
“The promotion of fruit and vegetables as a key part of a balanced diet remains a priority for the Welsh Government and other bodies such as the WHO.”
He also said there was evidence that certain fruits and vegetables could protect from cancer, while they could also help fight obesity.
