People who eat more fruit and vegetables feel younger mentally and physically, a survey conducted by the John Tung Foundation suggested.
The foundation last month surveyed 300 people aged between 50 and 69, asking them to conduct a self-assessment on aging based on several aspects, including body figure, lifestyle, appearance, mental health and physical condition.
It also asked respondents how many servings of fruit and vegetables they ate each day to gauge whether they were consuming enough fruit and vegetables.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends adults consume at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day.
The survey showed that 33.4 percent of respondents consumed more than two servings of fruit per day, and 28.3 percent consumed more than three servings of vegetables per day.
A higher percentage of people who did not consume up to two servings of fruit per day complained of more health problems or conditions, such as bad sleep quality, sore muscles, fatigue, constipation and emotional instability, said Pan Chi-luen (潘紀綸), a section chief at the foundation’s Food and Nutrition Center.
The survey also showed that people who ate more fruit and vegetables felt younger, and a possible reason is that these people might have a healthier eating habit, which contributes to lower risk of developing digestive tract diseases, constipation and other chronic diseases, said Yu Hsuan-wen (尤宣文), a nutritionist with the foundation.
“When the body is healthier, the person is more likely to feel mentally younger and have a more positive attitude toward aging,” she said.
The metabolism slows as we age, and fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, Pan said.
People with diabetes might be concerned that eating too much fruit would raise their blood-sugar levels, so the foundation encourages them to follow a “high-nutrient, low-glycemic index diet,” Pan said.
Fruit that are high in nutrients are kiwifruit, guavas, papaya and cherry tomatoes, Yu said, adding that apple, kiwifruit, tangerines and tomatoes are low-glycemic fruit that will not lead to a rapid increase in blood-sugar levels.
In addition, the dietary fibers in vegetables helps food to move through the digestive tract more quickly and fruit enzymes can help break down food into nutrients, she said.
Yu added that it is best to eat fruit in their whole-food form rather than blending them into juice or smoothie, because it might destroy the dietary fiber, and as liquids are digested quicker than solid food, they can produce a rapid rise in blood-sugar levels.
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