Eat fruits and vegetables five times a day to stay healthy for a long time.

New studies have shown that you should eat fruits and vegetables five times a day to stay healthy for a long time. The study, published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, points out that the diet should include fruits twice and vegetables three times.

Eating fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancer that can cause death, according to the study. According to figures from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in 10 people eat enough fruits and vegetables.

The study reveals that those who eat these five times are 13 percent less likely to have death for a variety of reasons than those who eat fruits and vegetables for two time. They are 12 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The risk of developing cancer is 10 percent lower and 35 percent less likely to develop lung diseases such as chronic objective pulmonary disease, according to the study.

But not all fruits and vegetables yield the same results. The study reminds us that starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, fruit juices and potatoes do not reduce the risk of death. At the same time, fruit and vegetable varieties containing beta-carotene and vitamin C, like spinach, letius-like greens, citrus fruits, berry fruits and carrots, reduce the risk of death.

The American Heart Association recommends that at least half of the plate be taken with fruits and vegetables every time you eat.