Seven-a-day? The UK's measly five-a-day rule is lagging behind international health guidelines

The fact that we thought it might be an April Fool says it all. Seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day? Can it be done?!

It sounds like hard work but that's exactly what scientists at UCL now believe we should be aiming to eat a day to ensure optimal health - and our measly attempts at five-a-day have been deemed insufficient.

Five-a day has been recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 1990 and is followed by the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Germany among other countries. It's based on the idea that we should be eating 400g of fruits and vegetables a day, which works out to five 80g portions.

The reason for this is that fruit and veg are packed with the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly and protect themselves against illness such as heart disease and cancer.

[Fruit and veg portions explained]
[Cheap ways to get your five seven-a-day]

But though we might struggle with five, let alone seven, portions, many other countries (and experts) still don't deem this enough and instead say we should be consuming far higher quantities.

France goes so far as to suggest 10 is more like it. And in Canada and Japan they already recommend seven - though previous Japanese guidelines have suggested as many as 13 a day. Denmark goes for six, while New Zealand suggests it's more like five+. And Ireland lags behind with a lower four (+) suggestion.

Greece says two thirds of the five should be leafy greens, and Italy just goes for a blanket 'eat more'.

In Australia they advise the 'two plus five' approach - that is two pieces of fruit a day and five vegetables.

This division between fruit and veg seems sensible too, given all the noise around how much sugar fruit contains and how sugar is now considered The Enemy.

There's also plenty of discussion around what counts as a fruit or vegetable portion. Some countries allow potatoes, others don't (the UK says no and classifies potatoes as starch) and some allow fruit juices, while others say their sugar negates any health benefits.

But the study showed that there was a marked reduction in health risks such as cancer and heart disease if more than seven portions are consumed.

Critics say changing the messaging to seven-a-day is too unrealistic to be a good public message. If we can barely manage five-a-day, which is well understood, is there any point making us feel guilty about failing to get to seven?

“We all know that eating fruit and vegetables is healthy, but the size of the effect is staggering,” said the study’s lead author Dr Oyinlola Oyebode of UCL’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. “The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age.”

Ultimately, from hiding carrots in bolognase sauce to having fruit for pudding when you really want cheesecake, the best you can do is eat a couple of fruits a day, as many different vegetables as possible, and keep the fruit juices down. Specific health advice may change, but this much we know.