A new study has revealed that adults from 30 to 60 years old, especially those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, aren`t consuming the daily recommended levels of fruits and vegetables.

Quebecers, however, eat more of nature`s produce than their fellow Canadians, according to the Concordia University study.

`People from the Atlantic to the western provinces consume fruits and vegetables less frequently compared to Quebecers,` said lead author Mesbah Sharaf, a PhD candidate in Concordia`s Department of Economics.

`This could be due to cultural influence, since Quebec is a predominantly a French-speaking province with a long history of farming, fruits, vegetables and dairy products,` Sharaf stated.

The researchers analysed data collected from almost 94,000 people, aged 18 to 69 years, from the Canadian Community Health Survey.

The analyses revealed that people with low education and low income ate fruits and vegetables less frequently - about 4.5 times per day. Individuals with higher education and income, for their part, ate nature`s produce a little over five times per day.

`There are also significant disparities in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption by demographics and lifestyle,` said co-author Sunday Azagba, who is also a PhD candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

Men, singles, smokers, people in their 40s and households with no children, for example, reached for the fruit bowl less often.

The research team also found that women tended to munch on fruit and vegetables more frequently (5.4 times a day) than men (4.5 times).

The study was published by Nutrition Journal.

Source: ANI
Image: Flickr/creativecommons scaredykat