New research finds that inadequate consumption of produce may account for 2.8 million deaths a year.

I will now put on my mother hat and tell you this: Eat your fruits and vegetables.

Here’s why. A new study finds that inadequate consumption of produce may account for 2.8 million deaths, globally, from heart disease and strokes each year. The researchers concluded that low fruit intake resulted in 1.8 million cardiovascular deaths in 2010, while not eating enough vegetables resulted in 1 million deaths.

"Fruits and vegetables are a modifiable component of the diet that can impact preventable deaths globally," said lead study author Victoria Miller, a postdoctoral researcher at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. "Our findings indicate the need for population-based efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the world."

Eating Fruit and Vegetables Saves Many Lives

The researchers used data from 2010 and found