CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION

Eating at least three servings of fruits and vegetables each day over an extended period of time may help protect against stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular problems, a new study indicates (1). The study by Lydia A. Bazzano, PhD, and colleagues, of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in a large group for an average of 19 years. They found that stroke incidence and mortality, as well as mortality from ischemic heart disease and CVD, were all significantly reduced in those who had eaten at least three servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

“Increase fruit and vegetable intakes have been recommended to prevent morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease,” the researchers conclude in their study. “Our findings provide additional evidence to support this recommendation.”

The study, part of the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1), involved prolonged follow-up of 9,608 adults ages 25 to 74 who were randomly distributed by sex, race and sociological group. All subjects were free of CVD at the study’s inception between 1971-1975. Follow-up data on dietary intake, disease and mortality were collected in 1982-1984, 1986, 1987, and 1992. In determining average daily servings of fruits and vegetables, the researchers used both a three-month food frequency questionnaire and a 24-hour dietary recall record. People who had eaten at least three servings per day of fruits and vegetables had a 27 percent lower incidence of stroke and a 42 percent lower stroke mortality rate, when all subjects were considered. In addition, the risk of death from ischemic heart disease and CVD was reduced by 24 percent and 37 percent, respectively. Men appeared to benefit more than women and whites more than nonwhites from frequent fruit and vegetable consumption with a few exceptions, such as a 53 percent reduction in stroke mortality for women versus a 23 percent reduction for men.

Reference:
1. Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Am J Clin Nutr.2002 July; 76(1); pp. 93-9

Source: FDA Consumer, The Magazine of the US Food and Drug Administration; 36(5); September-October 2002; p.9.

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