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# Eating fruit, vegetables reduces risk of upper respiratory tract infection
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/100720090617_eating_fruit_vegetables_reduces_risk_of_upper_respi/
- Published: 2009-07-10T18:16:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T12:23:48.000Z
- Description: Among more than 1,000 pregnant women, those eating the most fruit and vegetables were 26 percent less likely to have an upper respiratory tract infection than those eating the least. Fruit or vegetables alone showed no link; the benefit appeared near 6.7 servings a day.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, #vivvo-import

By David Liu and edited by Sheilah Downey

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine researchers (BUSM) found that eating at least seven servings of fruit and vegetables daily moderately reduced the risk of an upper respiratory tract infection or URTI.The study of more than 1,000 pregnant women published in the journal Public Health Nutrition showed that those who ate the most fruit and vegetables were 26 percent less likely to have URTI than those who ate the least amount.But eating fruit or vegetables alone was not associated with reducing the five-month risk of URTI. Women who were in the highest quartile of fruit and vegetable intake were at reduced three-month risk than the five month risk of URTI.URTIs are the common cold and sinus infections that can lead to lower respiratory conditions such as asthma or pneumonia. The majority of affected people recovered without medical intervention.Eating fruits and vegetables are known to boost immunity, but it has not been known that eating fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of URTI in pregnant women.It's recommended that pregnant women should consume at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. But the current study suggests that only as higher levels of consumption of fruit and vegetables as 6.7 servings per day may be reduce the risk of URTI moderately.