It may be possible to prevent osteoporosis by maintaining
the body’s bone mineral density by eating a diet of alkaline-producing foods,
including fruits, vegetables, vegetable proteins and moderate amounts of milk.
Researchers studied elderly men who were the original participants in the
Framingham Heart Study. Results suggest that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, magnesium and potassium may protect against bone loss in elderly men. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of magnesium and potassium. This study supports their potential role in the prevention of
osteoporosis. These nutrients seem to buffer the acid load of the diet and
thereby reduce bone loss. More research is needed. [Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:727-36.]
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According to an article in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, men and women with the highest consumption of fruits and
vegetables, a median of 5.8 servings per day among women and 5.1 servings per
day among men, were found to have a 31 percent lower risk of suffering an
ischemic stroke. Researchers studied two groups: 75,596 women participants of
the Harvard Nurses Health Study and 38,883 male health professionals.
Researchers found that each additional serving of fruits and vegetables consumed
daily (up to six servings per day) was associated with a six percent lower risk
of ischemic stroke. Researchers found the lowest risks of ischemic stroke for those who ate high amounts of cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, bok choy, and cauliflower), green leafy vegetables, and citrus fruits and juices. The beneficial components of fruits and vegetables may include potassium, folate, and fiber, as well as dietary flavonoids. [JAMA, 1999; 282:1233-1239.]
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Daily fruit intake seems to have a positive effect on
mortality among middle-aged and elderly men. That was the conclusion of a prospective cohort study that analyzed the long-term effects of eating fruits and vegetables on heart disease, cancer and death from these diseases in 730 men who were followed from the age of 54 to 80. They found that cardiovascular and total mortality were significantly lower among men with high fruit consumption. They found no correlation between fruit or vegetable intake in relation to cancer incidence or death and cardiovascular disease. They concluded that daily fruit consumption seems to have a positive effect on long-term survival independent of other risk factors, such as smoking hypertension, and cholesterol. [Eur J of Clin Nutr; 2000, 54(4):337-341.]
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High consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous
vegetables, is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, according to a
population-based, case-control study of 1230 men under 65 years old. Using food frequency questionnaires, the researchers found no association
between fruit intake and prostate cancer risk but did find a positive
association with vegetable intake, especially broccoli, cabbage, Brussels
sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92(1):61-8.]
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In a prospective study, researchers followed 39,876 female
health professionals who were part of the Women’s
Health Study for an average of five years. They assessed their fruit and vegetable intake and measured their
incidence of myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery disease, or death
due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). After adjusting for age and smoking, the researchers found a significant inverse association between fruit and vegetable intake and CVD risk, especially myocardial infarctions. They concluded that their data suggest that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables may be protective against CVD. Researchers have hypothesized that the beneficial combinations of micronutrients, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber in fruits and vegetables may be responsible for this protective effect. The data supports current dietary guidelines to increase fruit and vegetable intake.
[Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:922-8.]
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Researchers wanting to better understand the relationship
between lung cancer risk and the intake of specific carotenoids analyzed data
from two cohort studies. One was a ten-year study of 46,924 men in the
Health Professional Follow-Up Study and the other was a twelve-year study with
77,283 women in the Nurses’ Health Study. The researchers found that alpha-carotene and lycopene intakes were significantly associated with a lower risk of lung cancer. They found an inverse relationship with lung cancer risk and beta-carotene, lutein, and beta-cryptoxanthin, but the results were not
statistically significant. In these groups, carrots and tomatoes were by far the major contributors of alpha-carotene and lycopene, but other fruits and vegetables are important, as well. The researchers concluded that their findings support eating a high intake of a variety of carotenoids to reduce one’s risk of lung cancer. Because carotenoids are just a few of the phytonutrients naturally found in fruits and vegetables, the researchers conclude that it is unwise to suggest carotenoid supplementation as an alternative to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. [Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:990-7.]
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Researchers studied the availability of fruits and
vegetables in Greece, Ireland, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom,
Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, and Hungary using household budget survey (HBS)
data. They found considerable disparities in fruit and vegetable availability among these ten European countries. Only in Spain and Greece did a majority of the population exceed the World Health Organization recommendation of 400 grams a day, which is equivalent to about five decent-size servings of fruits and vegetables. They found that more than 50% of all European populations surveyed were likely to consume less than the recommended daily vegetable intake of three portions. The number of households not eating the recommended number of fruit servings was significantly lower than those of low vegetable consumers, indicating a preference towards the consumption of fruit. The researchers suggested that fruit and vegetable promotion strategies might be more successful if fruits and vegetables were addressed separately and that interventions that focus specifically on vegetables may be needed. [Brit J Nutr 2000;84:549-556.]
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Researchers asked fourth through sixth graders from five
elementary schools in the Midwest to identify the number of times they ate
fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks so that they could study the
relationship between certain behaviors and the frequency of fruit and vegetable
intake. Children were grouped into low or high consumers of fruits and vegetables. The strongest correlations were seen with children who started their day with juice or fruit and asked their parents to buy vegetables. Children’s ability to prepare a vegetable and awareness of the 5 A Day message were only weakly correlated with fruit and vegetable intake. Liking most fruits and vegetables was not correlated with intake. However, a willingness to try new fruits was weakly correlated with intake. Applications from this research include having educators and parents target certain behaviors, such as drinking a glass of juice in the morning or eating a vegetable with the evening meal. Additional behaviors include encouraging children to ask for extra helpings of fruits and vegetables, and asking their parents to buy fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks. [JADA 2000;100(7):828-830.]
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These researchers evaluated the association between fruit
and vegetable consumption and the risk for coronary heart disease using the
prospective nurses health study and the health professionals follow-up cohort
study. They reviewed the diets and disease incidence of over 84,200 women aged 34 to 59 and 42,100 men, 40 to 75 years old. After adjusting for standard cardiovascular risk factors, they found that people who ate the highest number of servings of fruits and vegetables had a lower relative risk for coronary heart disease than those people who consumed the least amount of fruits and vegetables. People consuming 4 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a decreased risk for coronary heart disease. Those with an intake of at least 8 servings a day produced a further decrease. They found that people who ate the most fruits and vegetables tended to be older, had healthier living habits, and smoked less than people who did not eat as much produce. Although the lower occurrence of heart attacks can be partly explained by health factors other than diet, it was also independently related to a high fruit and vegetable intake. Green leafy vegetables and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables appeared to contribute most to the apparent protective effect of total fruit and vegetable intake.
KJ Joshipura, FB Hu, et al. The Effect of Fruit and Vegetable Intake on Risk for Coronary Hheart Disease. Annals of Internal Medicine. 134:1106-1114. 2001.]
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Previous research and this data demonstrate that adequate fruit and vegetable intake among adolescents is a problem. Adolescents, especially girls, participate in a number of weight loss behaviors. These researchers examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and weight control behaviors among over 16,200 boys and girls, in grades 9 through 12, to determine whether adolescents that are trying to lose weight represent an
at-risk population for poor nutritional practices. As expected, dieting, exercising, vomiting, laxative use, and diet pills were more pronounced among girls than boys. The researchers found that 74% of the total sample consumed less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Surprisingly, the researchers found that girls who reported engaging in weight control behaviors were most likely to report an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables. These girls actually ate more fruits and vegetables than their peers. They also found that both girl and boy athletes ate more servings of fruits and vegetables than non-athletes. This study suggests that participation of adolescent girls in weight-control behaviors often includes the consumption of more fruits and vegetables in their diets. The challenge for health professionals and parents is to alter the patterns of poor eating, promote the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, and halt the dangerous weight-control practices that are common among today’s adolescents. [JA Pesa and LW Turner. Fruit and vegetables intake and weight control behaviors among US youth. Am J Health Behavior. 25(1):3-9. 2001.]
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These researchers conducted a qualitative investigation using in-depth interviews to better understand the meaning that people associate with eating fruits and vegetables. They selected American couples between the ages of 20 and 60, with and without children living at home, and examined the complexity of participants' lifetime experiences related to fruit and vegetable choices. They explored topics such as fruit and vegetable likes, dislikes, memories, procurement, and preparation, as well as family meal patterns and rules about food and beliefs influencing consumption of produce. Two overarching themes emerged. The first one was the historical low position of fruits and vegetables in the overall meal pattern, compared to meat and potatoes, when participants were young. The changing role of vegetables and fruits in the diet over time has led to the “should syndrome”, in which adults feel they should eat more fruits and vegetables for health reasons. This theme crossed all ages and sexes. Three common food rules emerged — clean your plate, just try it, and eat what is served — and often erupted into battles between parents and children. A second overarching theme identified was the creation of new food rules, norms, practices, and meanings concerning foods by new couples. Peoples’ diets change when they become part of a couple, and this often means they will try new foods and have more social food experiences. New parents want to offer their children an appreciation of good food, a variety of food choices, and balance. People must feel they can make their own food choices to achieve balance, a key component of contemporary life and food choice. New positive experiences with fruits and vegetables can alter existing negative perceptions of foods. People evaluate food choices on six values: cost, sensory perceptions, convenience, health and nutrition, managing relationships, and quality. This research emphasizes the importance of social, cultural and environmental conditions on which food choices and meanings are given. [J Paisley, J Sheeshka, and K Daly. Qualitative Investigation of the Meaning of Eating Fruits and Vegetables for Adult Couples. J of Nutr Education. 33:199-207. 2001.
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Numerous research studies and reviews have found that
diets rich in fruits and vegetables, are associated with reduced risks of many
types of cancer. Some researchers speculate that flavonoid compounds commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and other foods may help prevent certain types of cancer through their role as an antioxidant, as well as through other mechanisms. These researchers studied catechins, a type of flavonoid found in apples, tea, and other fruits and vegetables, in 728 men, aged 65-84 who
were part of the Netherlands prospective cohort Zutphen Elderly Study. They found that men with a high catechin intake tended to also have a higher intake of total energy, fiber, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene, and they ate more fruits and vegetables. The researchers found no association between lung cancer rate and green or black tea intake, a rich source of catechins. However, they did observe an inverse trend between catechins from other food sources, mainly apples, and the risk of lung cancer. Because tea, a major catechin source in this elderly population, was not associated with cancer risk, these researchers concluded that it appears unlikely that catechins alone are responsible for the observed effects of apples on lung cancer risk. While more research is needed in this area, it appears prudent to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are a rich source of catechins and other flavonoids. [ICW Arts, PCH Hollman, et al. Dietary catechins and epithelial cancer incidence: the Zutphen elderly study. Int J Cancer. 92:298-302. 2001.]
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