If chicken soup is for the soul, then fruit and vegetables are for the heart. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day slightly decreases the risk of heart disease. Fruit seemed to show the closest association, and among vegetables, dark leafy greens seemed to be the most beneficial. The study was conducted from the mid-1980s through 1998, and involved more than 100,000 participants.

Despite this good news, researchers were unable to find significant statistical support for the claim that eating fruits and vegetables protects us against cancer. But they couldn’t disprove the claim, either. It could be that certain cancers are more likely to occur in those people who eat few fruits or vegetables, or that cancer may take longer to show up than heart disease, which means the protective benefits of eating fruits and vegetables may take longer to emerge.

So while you digest all this, try this warming low fat sweet potato and apple soup for one and a half of your five to nine daily servings of produce.