Five portions of fruits and vegetables may be enough to reduce the risk of death, according to a new study published in BMJ’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Any more than five seems to have no further positive health effects, the researchers suggest.

There appears to be an increase in evidence to suggest that augmenting the amount of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet is associated with a lowered risk of death from heart disease and cancer. However, the results do not seem to be totally consistent, prompting a team of scientists from China and the United States to further analyze the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and the overall risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The results of 16 studies were looked at, involving 833,234 participants and 56,423 deaths. The researchers found a significant reduction in the incidence of death from all causes with the higher consumption of fruits and vegetables.

The researchers say that their study offers an increase in evidence that eating more fruit and vegetables on a daily basis is linked to a lowered risk of death from all causes, especially heart disease. It is therefore recommended to increase the consumption of such foods to improve overall health and lower the risk of mortality.