BACKGROUND
New research backs the five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables, but suggests eating more may have no added benefits. An analysis of 16 worldwide studies suggested that for every portion of fruit and vegetables consumed, there was a lower risk of premature death. But after five portions a day, there was no further impact, researchers report in The BMJ. There have been calls to up the quota to seven-a-day, to prolong lives. Current NHS guidance is to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Most people manage about four. Read more >>
CARTOON
The cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express links the five-a-day story with the heatwave that is currently hitting many parts of the UK. A man has just bought five ice-creams from an ice-cream van. He tells his wife (?), "In this weather these are my five a day."
NOTE
The brown thing sticking out the ice creams is a stick of chocolate, or a Cadbury's Flake to be exact. The product was first developed in 1920 by a Cadbury employee. When the excess from the moulds was drained off, it fell off in a stream and created folded chocolate with flaking properties. Since 1922 in Britain, Australia, and Ireland ice cream vendors have served the "99 Flake" (aka ninety-nine) which is vanilla soft serve ice cream in a wafer cone into which a half size Flake bar is inserted. The origin of the name is uncertain, but there are several theories.
