For years the advice has been clear: eating five portions a day of fruit and vegetables is the key to a healthy life. But five may no longer be enough.

　　在我们日常的饮食中，蔬菜与水果需占摄取食物总量的5成，这也是维持健康的身体与生活状态的关键之一。不过现在看来，50%的蔬果已经不足以满足需求了。

　　A study has found that to get maximum defence against heart disease, you need to eat at least eight daily servings of fresh food.

　　据一份最新的健康研究显示，为了能更好的预防心血管方面的疾病，我们每天所要食用的蔬菜与水果至少要占到饮食总量的8成。

　　The Government’s five-a-day advice has its roots in World Health Organisation guidelines to include 14oz of vegetables in a daily diet.

　　更具世界健康卫生组织所倡导的“每餐需含有14盎司蔬菜的标准”，英国政府向国民建议，每日摄取的食物中最还有一般为蔬果类。

　　But there have been doubts over whether eating more than this level of fruit and veg meant even greater health benefits. Now the new study suggests every extra portion provides added protection.

　　不过有人也对此提出了怀疑，多下更多吃蔬菜与水果就是否一定以为着又会更健康的身体。而现在，这份研究证明，提高健康食物所占的体重将对人体提供多大的保护。

　　Significantly, those in the ­highest category – eating eight or more a day – have a 22 per cent lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who consume three ­ portions, the UK average.

　　更要中的是，从英国国民健康水平的平均值来看，每日摄入近8成的蔬果的人要比那些仅仅吃“3份”蔬果的人罹患心脏病的概率小22%。

　　A ‘portion’ weighs just under 3oz, equal to a small banana, a medium apple or a small carrot. The findings come from an ongoing European investigation into diet and health, looking at 300,000 people in eight countries.

　　这其中所指的每一份大概相当于三盎司，也就是一只小香蕉，中等个头的苹果，或小一些的萝卜。这究报告是在研究了八个国家的30万人口的饮食与健康水平后得出的结果。

　　Dr Francesca Crowe, of Oxford University, is working on the project. She said that although ischaemic heart disease (IHD) – the most common form – was less likely in those who ate lots of vegetables, it could be explained because these people might also have healthier lifestyles.

　　来自牛津大学的克洛维博士参与了这项调查研究。她指出，比较常见的缺血性心脏病很少出现在那些摄入很多蔬菜水果的人群中，同时，这位人的健康的生活状态也是保护他们免于心脏病威胁的原因之一。

　　However, the study specifically showed a reduced risk of dying from IHD of around four per cent for each additional portion of fruit and veg consumed above the lowest category, which was those who ate two or fewer portions.

　　研究充实指出，对于那些摄取蔬果量处于做低标准的人，也就是每日仅有“2份”的人来说，饮食中每增加“一份”的蔬果比重，患上缺血性心脏病的几率就将缩小4%。

　　The average intake of fruit and vegetables across all the countries in the study was five portions. People in Greece, Italy and Spain ate more and those in Sweden less.

　　这些受调查的欧洲国家中，人们平均每日会吃掉“5份”蔬果，其中，希腊、意大利和西班牙人会吃更多的蔬果，而瑞典人则更少些。