Leaf for Life and 5-a-DayThe 5 A Day for Better Health Program offers a simple, positive message: eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day for better health. It began in 1991 in the United States, and similar programs are taking root all over the world. Leaf for Life provides practical ways to make "5-a-Day" work for low-income communities both in the United States and in Latin America.
Please use our website to learn how to “Bring the 5 a Day Program Home” to your community and to make the best use of green leaf crops. (See links below.) What is the 5 A Day Program?
Why 5 A Day?Over 200 studies showed that people who eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily have only half as many digestive and respiratory cancers as those who consume fewer than 2 servings a day. Many other studies have confirmed that a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduces the risks of obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes, as well as many forms of cancer. Think Globally, Eat Locally
Origins of 5 a Day
The 5 Ages of 5 a Day |
Since 1986 Leaf for Life has helped people in the United States, Bolivia, Brazil, India, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua to improve their health by showing them ways to make better use of local vegetables, especially green leaf crops. We work with the International 5 a Day for Better Health Program, encouraging people to eat more locally grown fruits and vegetables for better health. Currently our effort is more focused near our base in Eastern Kentucky, where diet related health problems are prevalent.
The 5 A Day for Better Health Program offers a simple, positive message: eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day for better health. The US National Cancer Institute and the Produce for Better Health Foundation, which represents the fruit and vegetable industry, jointly sponsor the program that began in 1991.