Forget five a day…It’s time to DOUBLE your fruit intake

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, he may want to consider ducking because ten apples will be flying at his head soon enough.

Whilst following the five-a-day rule has significant health benefits, you know what's better than five a day? Yep, ten a day. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology predicts that 7.8 million premature deaths could be prevented if everyone ate ten portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Lead author Dr Dagfinn Aune said,

"We wanted to investigate how much fruit and vegetables you need to eat to gain the maximum protection against disease. Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, 10 a day is even better."

Apples, pears, citrus fruits and leafy vegetables may help protect against heart disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, while filling up on spinach and green beans, could greatly reduce the risk of cancer. Now we just need to find a scientist who believes chocolate is a fruit and we'll be flying. Join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie