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At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Green and yellow vegetables can maintain body stores of vitamin A in Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A activity of plant provitamin A carotenoids is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether plant carotenoids can sustain or improve vitamin A nutrition during the fall season in kindergarten children in the Shandong province of China. DESIGN: The serum vitamin A concentration of 39% of the children was <1.05 micromol/L and of 61% of the children was > or = 1.05 micromol/L. For 5 d/wk for 10 wk, 22 children were provided approximately 238 g green-yellow vegetables/d and 34 g light-colored vegetables/d. Nineteen children maintained their customary dietary intake, which included 56 g green-yellow vegetables/d and 224 g light-colored vegetables/d. Octadeuterated and tetradeuterated vitamin A were given before and after the interventions, respectively, and their enrichments in the plasma were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations were measured by HPLC. RESULTS: Carotenoid nutrition improved after consumption of green-yellow vegetables. Serum concentrations of retinol were sustained in the group fed green-yellow vegetables but decreased in the group fed light-colored vegetables (P < 0.01). The isotope-dilution tests confirmed that total-body vitamin A stores were sustained in the group fed green-yellow vegetables, but decreased 27 micromol (7700 microg retinol) per child, on average, in the group fed light-colored vegetables (P < 0.06). CONCLUSION: Green-yellow vegetables can provide adequate vitamin A nutrition in the diet of kindergarten children and protect them from becoming vitamin A deficient during seasons when the provitamin A food source is limited.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2000

Evaluation of 2 brief instruments and a food-frequency questionnaire to estimate daily number of servings of fruit and vegetables.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of fruit and vegetable intake is important in the surveillance of populations and in epidemiologic studies that examine the relations between diet and disease. Some situations require the use of brief dietary assessment tools. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate the performance of 2 brief dietary assessment instruments, a 7-item standard screener and a new 16-item screener, and a complete food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in measuring total fruit and vegetable consumption. DESIGN: About 800 men and women from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study completed an FFQ, 1 of the 2 screeners, and two 24-h dietary recalls. Fruit and vegetable intakes as measured by each screener and the FFQ were compared with estimated true usual intake by using a measurement-error model. RESULTS: Median daily servings of fruit and vegetables were underestimated by both screeners. The estimated agreement between true intake and the screener was higher for the new screener than for the standard screener and was higher for women than for men. The estimated agreement between true intake and the FFQ was higher than that for both screeners. Attenuation coefficients for the FFQ and screeners were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: For estimating median intakes of fruit and vegetables and the prevalence of recommended intakes being met, the use of screeners without appropriate adjustment is suboptimal. For estimating relative risks in the relations between fruit and vegetable intake and disease, screeners and this FFQ are similar in performance.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness to change of a short questionnaire for measuring fruit and vegetable intake.

The reproducibility, relative validity, and responsiveness to change of an eight-item food frequency questionnaire designed to measure fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed among 157 women (mean age = 41 years) in the Netherlands from spring 2001 to spring 2002. Plasma concentrations of vitamin C and total and specific carotenoids served as biomarkers against which validity was assessed. The questionnaire was completed and biomarker concentrations were determined three times: immediately preceding and following a controlled intervention of 1 month aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and 1 year after the start of the intervention. The 1-month and 1-year reproducibility of total fruit and vegetable consumption assessed in the control group was 0.80 and 0.79 (Spearman's r ). Correlations between consumption and plasma carotenoids and vitamin C at baseline were 0.39 and 0.37, respectively, for fruits and 0.24 and 0.26, respectively, for vegetables. Correlations between changes in consumption and plasma carotenoids and vitamin C were 0.32 and 0.33, respectively, for fruits and 0.28 and 0.30, respectively, for vegetables. On the basis of similar correlations reported in the literature, the authors conclude that the questionnaire appears to be suitable for ranking individuals according to their consumption of fruits and vegetables and according to changes in their consumption. However, the validity of the questionnaire remains to be established in males, other age groups, and populations of lower educational levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Fruit, vegetable, and antioxidant intake and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality in a community-dwelling population in Washington County, Maryland.

Higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and antioxidants may help protect against oxidative damage, thus lowering cancer and cardiovascular disease risk. This Washington County, Maryland, prospective study examined the association of fruit, vegetable, and antioxidant intake with all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease death. CLUE participants who donated a blood sample in 1974 and 1989 and completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1989 (N = 6,151) were included in the analysis. Participants were followed to date of death or January 1, 2002. Compared with those in the bottom fifth, participants in the highest fifth of fruit and vegetable intake had a lower risk of all-cause (cases = 910; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51, 0.78; p-trend = 0.0004), cancer (cases = 307; HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.93; p-trend = 0.08), and cardiovascular disease (cases = 225; HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.54, 1.06; p-trend = 0.15) mortality. Higher intake of cruciferous vegetables was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.91; p-trend = 0.04). No statistically significant associations were observed between dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene intake and mortality. Overall, greater intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with lower risk of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease death. These findings support the general health recommendation to consume multiple servings of fruits and vegetables (5-9/day).

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The consequences of fruit and vegetable fibre fermentation on their binding capacity for MeIQx and the effects of soluble fibre sources on the binding affinity of wheat bran preparations.

Fruits and vegetables provide dietary fibre some of which is partly soluble in the upper gut; in the colon it is highly fermentable. Using alcohol-insoluble residues prepared from a range of fruits and vegetables the effects of fermentation on the changes in composition and binding capacity have been assessed for the hydrophobic mutagen 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx). Fermentation was extensive and resulted in destruction of most of the pectic polysaccharides. Of the unfermented vegetable fibre only cabbage had a measurable hydrophobic binding capacity. The binding capacities of unfermented apple, carrot and sugar beet were negligible. After fermentation, binding capacities, (per mg of fermented residue), increased. Although fermented cabbage was found to have the highest capacity of the fruit and vegetable fibres this remained less than the least effective of unfermented wheat bran samples which had a relatively high affinity for MeIQx. Mucin inhibited the binding of MeIQx to wheat bran fibre but apple fibre did not. The results show that the contribution of fruit and vegetable fibre to a hydrophobic binding matrix in the colon is insignificant and the suggested harmful effect of fruit and vegetable fibre, maintaining hydrophobic mutagens in solution, can be prevented by the presence of wheat bran fibre.

Carcinogens↗

PubMed2005

A new analysis method with GC or GC-MS for the quick detection of pesticide residues in vegetables.

A new analytical method for gas chromatography (GC) or GC-mass spectrometry (MS) using the direct sampling technique is described. This direct sampling technique, which bypasses the conventional complicated sample pretreatment process, is applicable to cases of fast detection of pesticide residues in foods and large-scale screening of samples by portable GC in field detection. By a direct sampling technique, the vegetable sample is ground into paste, and 30 mg is placed directly into the evaporating chamber for GC-MS identification and quantitation (by full-scan mode). The GC column used is an HP-5 (30.0-m x 250-microm x 0.25-microm, 5% phenyl methyl siloxane). Chlorpyrifos, bromophos, fenpropathrin, gamma-666, and pp'-DDT are chosen to represent organophosphorus, pyrethrins, and organochlorine pesticides because they are chief objects of the detection of pesticide residues in vegetables. Rape, a common and mass-consumed vegetable in China, is chosen as the sample in this study. The detection limits for these pesticides by the full-scan mode are all below the maximum pesticide residue limit of vegetables set by the Ministry of Agriculture of China, and the reproducibility of this method is acceptable. This analysis method is proven to be simple, quick, and reliable and is suitable for multipesticide residues analysis of vegetables. It can also be used in the analysis of vegetable components and signal chemicals.

Chromatography, Gas↗

PubMed2001

Socioeconomic differences in the consumption of vegetables, fruit and fruit juices. The influence of psychosocial factors.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate whether social network and social support factors can explain socioeconomic differences in the risk of consuming low amounts of vegetables, fruit and fruit juices. METHODS: The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study was a prospective cohort study. The present cross-sectional study examined data from a subpopulation of 11,837 individuals that completed baseline examinations in 1992-1994. Dietary habits were assessed using a modified diet history method, and socioeconomic and social network factors were measured with a structured questionnaire. Low consumption was defined as the lowest consumption quartile for vegetables and fruit, while fruit juice consumption was dichotomized to separate users from non-users. RESULTS: Socioeconomic differences were most pronounced regarding the consumption of vegetables and fruit juices. For both sexes, unskilled manual workers had a twice as high risk of low vegetable and fruit juice consumption as higher non-manual employees. No socioeconomic differences in fruit consumption were observed for men, and only moderate differences for women with a higher consumption in higher socioeconomic groups. When the psychosocial variables were introduced in the multivariate model, social participation moderately reduced the socioeconomic differences in vegetable consumption, and the female socioeconomic differences in fruit consumption, but had no effect on the socioeconomic differences in fruit juice consumption. The other psychosocial variables had no effect on the socioeconomic differences. CONCLUSION: Considerable socioeconomic differences in vegetable, fruit and fruit juice consumption were observed. Social participation seemed to be a strong determinant for these food choices. However, this effect was largely independent of the socioeconomic differences.

Beverages↗

PubMed2005

The European Common Agricultural Policy on fruits and vegetables: exploring potential health gain from reform.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The European Union Common Agricultural Policy keeps prices high by limiting the availability of fruits and vegetables. This policy is at odds with public health interests. We assess the potential health gain for the Dutch population of discontinuing EU withdrawal support for fruits and vegetables. METHODS: The maximum effect of the reform was estimated by assuming that a quantity equivalent to the amount of produce withdrawn in recent years would be brought onto the market. For the calculation of the effect of consumption change on health we constructed a multi-state life table model in which consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked to ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and cancer of the oesophagus, stomach, colorectum, lung and breast. Uncertainty is quantified using Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: The reform would maximally increase the average consumption of fruits and vegetables by 1.80% (95% uncertainty interval 1.12-2.73), with an ensuing increase in life expectancy of 3.8 (2.2-5.9) days for men and 2.6 (1.5-4.2) days for women. The reform is also likely to decrease socio-economic inequalities in health. CONCLUSION: Ending EU withdrawal support for fruits and vegetables could result in a modest health gain for the Dutch population, though uncertainty in the estimates is high. A more comprehensive examination of the health effects of the EU agricultural policy could help to ensure health is duly considered in decision-making.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2000

Worldwide incidence of hip fracture in elderly women: relation to consumption of animal and vegetable foods.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture, a major health problem in elderly persons, varies in incidence among the populations of different countries and is directly related to animal protein intake, a finding that suggests that bone integrity is compromised by endogenous acid production consequent to the metabolism of animal proteins. If that is so, vegetable foods might provide a countervailing effect, because they are a rich source of base (bicarbonate) in the form of metabolizable organic anions, which can neutralize protein-derived acid and supply substrate (carbonate) for bone formation. METHODS: We analyzed reported hip fracture incidence (HFI) data among countries (N = 33) in women aged 50 years and older, in relation to corresponding country-specific data on per capita consumption of vegetable and animal foods as reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. RESULTS: HFI varied directly with total (r = +.67, p < .001) and animal (r = +.82, p < .001) protein intake and inversely with vegetable protein intake (r = .37, p < .04). The countries in the lowest tertile of HFI (n = 11) had the lowest animal protein consumption, and invariably, vegetable protein (VP) consumption exceeded the country's corresponding intake of animal protein (AP): VP/AP > 1.0. By contrast, among the countries in the highest tertile of HFI, animal protein intake exceeded vegetable protein intake in nearly every case (10 of 11 countries). Among all countries, HFI correlated inversely and exponentially with the ratio of vegetable/animal protein intake (r = -.84, p < .001) and accounted for 70% of the total variation in HFI. Adjusted for total protein intake, vegetable food consumption was an independent negative predictor of HFI. All findings were similar for the subset of 23 countries whose populations are predominantly Caucasian. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the critical determinant of hip fracture risk in relation to the acid-base effects of diet is the net load of acid in the diet, when the intake of both acid and base precursors is considered. Moderation of animal food consumption and an increased ratio of vegetable/animal food consumption may confer a protective effect.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Does stage of change predict outcome in a primary-care intervention to encourage an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption?

Our aim was to investigate the response of participants in different Stage of Change (SOC) groups to an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants recruited from a primary-care health centre were entered into a trial investigating an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. A total of 729 men and women were randomized into intervention and control groups. Participants attended two appointments 6 months apart and completed postal questionnaires before each appointment. The questionnaire included SOC questions which were used to classify participants into 'pre-contemplation', 'contemplation' and 'action' groups at baseline and at follow-up. All intervention participants received a standard intervention to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables to at least five portions per day. After 6 months at the end of the trial control participants received the same intervention. The main outcome measures were the changes in plasma concentrations of antioxidant vitamins. Changes in self-reported fruit and vegetable intake were a secondary outcome measure. At baseline, 38% (113/297) of the intervention participants were described as being in the 'pre-contemplation' stage, 35% in 'contemplation' and 27% in 'action' groups. For control participants, 36% (112/310) were in 'pre-contemplation', 34% in 'contemplation' and 30% in 'action' groups. In the intervention groups, 50% (57/113) of 'pre-contemplators' moved to the 'action' stage and 37% (42/113) moved to 'contemplation'. There was little movement in the control 'SOC' groups between baseline and follow-up, other than a small drift to 'contemplation'. Overall, the intervention group reported a greater increase in fruit and vegetable consumption than the controls (mean difference in change of 1.4 daily portions; 95% confidence interval 1.2, 1.6; after adjustment for baseline intake and gender) and significantly greater changes were reported in all three intervention 'SOC' groups compared to the corresponding 'control' groups (P < 0.001 in each case). These results suggest that peoples' SOC may have little bearing on their success in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Reported barriers to eating more fruit and vegetables before and after participation in a randomized controlled trial: a qualitative study.

This qualitative study compares the barriers to eating more fruit and vegetables reported before and after participation in a 6-month randomized controlled trial in primary care. At the initial intervention appointment of a primary care intervention to promote eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, participants were asked to identify the barriers that they thought they might encounter. Barriers were discussed again at the final appointment 6 months later. At the end of the study, a purposive sample of 40 of the trial participants was interviewed to explore their experiences in greater detail. Transcripts of tape recordings of the intervention appointments and the semi-structured interview were analysed using qualitative methods. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of these appointment and interview transcripts (results of the trial are published elsewhere). Women reported that children and male partners were obstructive to their attempts to eat more fruit and vegetables, whilst men reported that their partners were supportive of the change. The perception that fruit and vegetables were expensive was a relatively intractable barrier for those with inflexible food budgets. Some barriers, including the problem of getting fruit and vegetables when travelling or when the daily routine is disrupted such as at weekends, were not anticipated and only encountered when participants tried to make changes. However, while all but three of the interview respondents described experiencing at least one barrier to eating more fruit and vegetables, three quarters (29 of 40) reported an increase in intake of between one and five daily portions. This study adds to the existing literature in that it investigates those barriers that were reported at the end of, as well as before, a 6-month trial of a dietary intervention. The findings show that trial participants were not always able to anticipate what might be a barrier to change at the initial intervention appointment. The flexible action plan meant that if participants found their initial plan hard to maintain, they were able to adapt it rather than give up. This suggests that health behaviour interventions that are negotiated and non-prescriptive may be more successful than those that are relatively inflexible.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Fruit and vegetables, and cardiovascular disease: a review.

BACKGROUND: Increased interest in the potential cardio-protective effects of fruit and vegetables is currently unsupported by systematic reviews of the reported associations of these foods with risk. METHOD: All ecological, case-control, cohort studies and unconfounded trials in humans were eligible for inclusion. Eligible outcomes were symptomatic coronary heart disease, stroke and total circulatory disease. Only studies of diet that reported on fresh fruit and vegetables or a nutrient which could serve as a proxy (reversing the usual direction of inference) were included. MEDLINE (1966-1995) and EMBASE (1980-1995) were searched using the terms cerebrovascular disorder, coronary heart disease, fruit(s) and vegetable(s) as keywords. Personal bibliographies, books and reviews were also searched, as were citations in located reports. RESULTS: For coronary heart disease nine of ten ecological studies, two of three case-control studies and six of 16 cohort studies found a significant protective association with consumption of fruit and vegetables or surrogate nutrients. For stroke three of five ecological studies, none (of one) case-control study and six of eight cohort studies found a significant protective association with consumption of fruit and vegetables or surrogate nutrients. For total circulatory disease, one of two cohort studies reported a significant protective association. No attempt was made to arrive at a summary measure of the association because of the differences in study type, study quality and the different exposure measures used. CONCLUSIONS: Although null findings may be underreported the results are consistent with a strong protective effect of fruit and vegetables for stroke and a weaker protective effect on coronary heart disease. Greater use of food-based hypotheses and analyses, would complement existing nutrient-based analyses and help guide the search for underlying causes.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed2000

Fruits and vegetables increase plasma carotenoids and vitamins and decrease homocysteine in humans.

Observational epidemiologic studies have shown that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of chronic diseases. Little is known about the bioavailability of constituents from vegetables and fruits and the effect of these constituents on markers for disease risk. Currently, the recommendation is to increase intake of a mix of fruits and vegetables ("five a day"). We investigated the effect of this recommendation on plasma carotenoids, vitamins and homocysteine concentrations in a 4-wk dietary controlled, parallel intervention study. Male and female volunteers (n = 47) were allocated randomly to either a daily 500-g fruit and vegetable ("high") diet or a 100-g fruit and vegetable ("low") diet. Analyzed total carotenoid, vitamin C and folate concentrations of the daily high diet were 13.3 mg, 173 mg and 228.1 microg, respectively. The daily low diet contained 2.9 mg carotenoids, 65 mg vitamin C and 131.1 microg folate. Differences in final plasma levels between the high and low group were as follows: lutein, 46% [95% confidence interval (CI) 28-64]; beta-cryptoxanthin, 128% (98-159); lycopene, 22% (8-37); alpha-carotene, 121% (94-149); beta-carotene, 45% (28-62); and vitamin C, 64% (51-77) (P < 0.05). The high group had an 11% (-18 to -4) lower final plasma homocysteine and a 15% (0.8-30) higher plasma folate concentration compared with the low group (P < 0.05). This is the first trial to show that a mix of fruits and vegetables, with a moderate folate content, decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations in humans.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Fruits and vegetables intake differentially affects estrogen receptor negative and positive breast cancer incidence rates.

Despite intensive research, the evidence for a protective effect of fruits and vegetables on breast cancer risk remains inconclusive. Other risk factors for breast cancer seem to vary with the estrogen receptor status of the breast tumor, and it is thus possible that the inconsistent results regarding a preventive effect of fruits and vegetables are due to lack of controlling for estrogen receptor status. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on postmenopausal breast cancer and explore whether the estrogen receptor status of the tumor modifies this relation. Postmenopausal women (n = 23,798; aged 50-64 y) provided information about diet and established risk factors for breast cancer in the cohort "Diet, Cancer and Health." During follow-up, 425 cases were diagnosed with breast cancer. Associations between intake of fruits and vegetables and the breast cancer rate were analyzed using Cox's regression model. The association for all breast cancers was an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.02 (95% CI, 0.98-1.06) per 100 g/d increment of total intake of fruits, vegetables and juice. For estrogen receptor-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer, a borderline significant increase in the rate was seen, IRR: 1.05 (95% CI, 1.00-1.10), whereas a preventive effect was seen for estrogen receptor-negative (ER(-)) breast cancers, IRR: 0.90 (95% CI, 0.81-0.99). In conclusion, we did not find the overall breast cancer rate to be associated with the intake of fruits and vegetables, but there seemed to be different effects for ER(+) and ER(-) breast cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Consumption of high-pressurized vegetable soup increases plasma vitamin C and decreases oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy humans.

Current evidence supports a significant association between fruit and vegetable intake and health. In this study, we assessed the effect of consuming a vegetable-soup "gazpacho" on vitamin C and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in a healthy human population. We also examined the association between vitamin C and F(2)-isoprostanes (8-epiPGF(2alpha)), uric acid (UA), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and the cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and IL-6. Gazpacho is a Mediterranean dish defined as a ready-to-use vegetable soup, containing approximately 80% crude vegetables rich in vitamin C. Subjects (6 men, 6 women) enrolled in this study consumed 500 mL/d of gazpacho corresponding to an intake of 72 mg of vitamin C. On d 1, subjects consumed the gazpacho in one dose; from d 2 until the end of the study, d 14, 250 mL was consumed in the morning and 250 mL in the afternoon. Blood was collected before drinking the soup (baseline) and on d 7 and 14. Baseline plasma vitamin C concentrations did not differ between men and women (P = 0.060). Compared with baseline, the vitamin C concentration was significantly higher on d 7 and 14 of the intervention in both men and women (P < 0.05). Baseline plasma levels of UA and F(2)-isoprostanes were higher (P < or = 0.002) in men than in women. The F(2)-isoprostanes decreased on d 14 in men and women (P < or = 0.041), and UA decreased in men (P = 0.028). The concentrations of vitamin C and 8-epiPGF(2alpha) were inversely correlated (r = -0.585, P = 0.0002). Plasma PGE(2) and MCP-1 concentrations decreased in men and women (P < or = 0.05) on d 14, but those of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 did not change. Consumption of the vegetable soup decreases oxidative stress and biomarkers of inflammation, which indicates that the protective effect of vegetables may extend beyond their antioxidant capacity.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

The consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a reduced rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) in observational cohorts. The purpose of this study was to assess the strength of this association in a meta-analysis. Cohort studies were selected if they reported relative risks (RRs) and 95% CI for coronary heart disease or mortality and if they presented a quantitative assessment of fruit and vegetable intake. The pooled RRs were calculated for each additional portion of fruit and/or vegetables consumed per day, and the linearity of the associations were examined. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis that consisted of 91,379 men, 129,701 women, and 5,007 CHD events. The risk of CHD was decreased by 4% [RR (95% CI): 0.96 (0.93-0.99), P = 0.0027] for each additional portion per day of fruit and vegetable intake and by 7% [0.93 (0.89-0.96), P < 0.0001] for fruit intake. The association between vegetable intake and CHD risk was heterogeneous (P = 0.0043), more marked for cardiovascular mortality [0.74 (0.75-0.84), P < 0.0001] than for fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction [0.95 (0.92-0.99), P = 0.0058]. Visual inspection of the funnel plot suggested a publication bias, although not statistically significant. Therefore, the reported RRs are probably overestimated. This meta-analysis of cohort studies shows that fruit and vegetable consumption is inversely associated with the risk of CHD. The causal mechanism of this association, however, remains to be demonstrated.

Cohort Studies↗

PubMed2006

A diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits atherosclerosis in mice.

Although dietary patterns characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the mechanisms involved are uncertain. We determined the effects of a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables on the development of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary heart disease, in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, the LDL receptor -/-, apolipoprotein B transgenic mouse. The mice were randomized into 2 diet groups: 1) a vegetable-free control diet (n = 53) and 2) the same diet with 30% (w:w) replaced by an equal-parts mixture of freeze-dried peas, green beans, broccoli, corn, and carrots (n = 54). Mice were fed these diets for 16 wk. Aortic atherosclerosis, as estimated by cholesteryl ester content, was reduced 38% (P < 0.001) in mice fed the vegetable-rich diet. Plasma total cholesterol (-12%), VLDL + ILDL cholesterol (-32%), serum amyloid A (-37%), and body weight (-7%) (all P < 0.01) were also lower in these mice at the end of the treatment period. In a regression model, antiatherogenic effects of the vegetable diet remained largely unexplained by the variation in plasma lipoproteins or body weight. Although the pathway(s) involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of atherosclerosis and may therefore lead to a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Fruit, vegetables, dietary fiber, and risk of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several recent large prospective cohort studies have failed to demonstrate the presumed protective effect of fruit, vegetable, and dietary fiber consumption on colorectal cancer risk. To further explore this issue, we have examined these associations in a population that consumes relatively low amounts of fruit and vegetables and high amounts of cereals. METHODS: We examined data obtained from a food-frequency questionnaire used in a population-based prospective mammography screening study of women in central Sweden. Women with colorectal cancer diagnosed through December 31, 1998, were identified by linkage to regional cancer registries. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: During an average 9.6 years of follow-up of 61 463 women, we observed 460 incident cases of colorectal cancer (291 colon cancers, 159 rectal cancers, and 10 cancers at both sites). In the entire study population, total fruit and vegetable consumption was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. Subanalyses showed that this association was due largely to fruit consumption. The association was stronger, however, and the dose-response effect was more evident among individuals who consumed the lowest amounts of fruit and vegetables. Individuals who consumed less than 1.5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day had a relative risk for developing colorectal cancer of 1.65 (95% confidence interval = 1.23 to 2.20; P(trend) =.001) compared with individuals who consumed more than 2.5 servings. We observed no association between colorectal cancer risk and the consumption of cereal fiber, even at amounts substantially greater than previously examined, or of non-cereal fiber. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who consume very low amounts of fruit and vegetables have the greatest risk of colorectal cancer. Relatively high consumption of cereal fiber does not appear to lower the risk of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗