Men need to increase their fruit and veg intake

Men should be eating more fruit and vegetables if they want to feel healthier.

Results of a survey, released to coincide with the current Men’s Health Week, show that the average man eats fewer than two portions of fruit (65%) and veg (51%)every day.

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Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day are recommended, but most nutritionists agree this should be more like ten.

Men who don’t eat enough fruit and veg can help their health by taking supplements but just over half (56%) said they don’t take any at all.

The survey of 11,900 men found that almost a third (30%) eat more than one takeaway a week, compared to only two in ten women.

When asked about alcohol intake, 14% said they downed more than four drinks in one night.The study uncovered that 42% of men have been eating more food overall since the start of lockdown while 18% said they were eating less.

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More than two-fifths said that they get fewer than seven hours of sleep a night.

A further 13% said they have been sick four or more times in the past year, with 36% of these saying it usually takes them four to six days to recover. A further 12% said it took them at least seven days to get over an illness.

Dietician Roxane Bakker, of nutrition and health supplements website Vitl.com, who conducted the survey, said: “We are all guilty of putting our body or health through the wringer from time to time, but doing so consistently can have nasty effects. Your body needs certain nutrients and enough sleep to fight off illnesses and other unwanted ailments.”

(main photo: Shutterstock)