Fruits and vegetables

 

Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet.

 

The WHO estimates that 2.7 million deaths each year are attributable to a diet low in fruit and vegetables

Low fruit and vegetable diets are estimated to cause about 19% of gastrointestinal cancer, 31% of ischemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes: making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, and the 4th leading risk factor for any disease.

 

A  variety of fruits and vegetables is as important as quantity, as no single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients needed to be healthy. 

 

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can: lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, and can help keep appetite controlled.

 

Non-starchy vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, and green leafy vegetables may even promote weight loss. 

 

F and Vs have a low glycemic load, and can  prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger.

At least nine different families of fruits and vegetables exist.

 

Eating  a variety of types and colors of produce give the body the mix of nutrients it needs.

 

A meta-analysis of 469,551 participants found that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, with an average reduction in risk of 4% for each additional serving per day of fruit and vegetables. 

 

The Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years: 

The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. 

 

Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke.

 

Green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens, were most strongly associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. 

 

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, and their juices, reduced CV risk.

 

IIndividuals who eat more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.

 

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat.

 

People with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by almost 6 mm Hg, as much as medications can achieve.

 

The randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that a fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. 

 

Observational studies found that consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with lower blood pressure. 

There is a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. 

Fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables, have been implicated in nearly half the gastrointestinal infections caused by norovirus in the United States. 

 

The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables daily.

 

Over a 14-year period in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings

 

A meta-analysis of cohort studies found that a higher fruit and vegetable intake did not decrease the risk of deaths from cancer. 

 

It is suspected some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers.

 

Nurses’ Health Study II cohort of 90,476 premenopausal women followed for 22 years and found that those who ate the most fruit during adolescence, about 3 servings a day, compared with those who ate the lowest intakes, 0.5 servings a day, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer. 

 

There is a significant reduction in breast cancer in women who have eaten higher intakes of apples, bananas, grapes, and corn during adolescence, and oranges and kale during early adulthood. 

 

Fruit juice consumption at younger ages provided no protection from breast care.

 

Nurses’ Health Study II over 20 years found that higher fiber intakes during adolescence and early adulthood were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer later in life. 

 

Women with the highest fruit fiber intake had a 12% reduced risk of breast cancer, and those with the highest vegetable fiber intake had an 11% reduced risk. 

 

Vegetable intake is strongly associated with a 15% lower risk of estrogen-receptor-negative tumors for every two additional servings of vegetables eaten daily. 

 

A higher intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower risk of other aggressive tumors including HER2-enriched and basal-like tumors. 

 

Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, garlic, onions, and fruits probably protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach. 

 

Fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. 

 

Tomatoes may help protect men against aggressive prostate cancer: lycopene

Increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. 

 

Lycopene is found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and such foods may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. 

 

A study of over 66,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85,104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 36,173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study—who were free of major chronic diseases—found that greater consumption of whole fruits—especially blueberries, grapes, and apples—was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. 

 

The greater consumption of fruit juice was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. 

 

A study of over 70,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, showed that consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruit was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. 

 

Research suggests the consumption of fruit juices may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes among women. 

 

A study of over 2,300 Finnish men showed that vegetables and fruits, especially berries, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

 

Data from the Nurses’ Health Studies and the Health Professional’s Follow-up Study show that women and men who increased their intakes of fruits and vegetables over a 24-year period are more likely to have lost weight than those who ate the same amount or those who decreased their intake. 

 

In the above studies, berries, apples, pears, soy, and cauliflower were associated with weight loss while starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with weight gain. 

Fruits and vegetables contain indigestible fiber, which absorbs water and expands as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract.

 

Fruits and vegetable fiber can calm symptoms of an irritable bowel and, by promoting regular bowel movements, and can relieve or prevent constipation. 

 

Similarly, the bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and may help prevent diverticulosis. 

 

Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases, cataracts and macular degeneration.

 

Lutein and zeaxanthin, in fruits and vegetables can protect against cataracts.

 

Low fruit and vegetable diets are estimated to cause about 19% of gastrointestinal cancer, 31% of ischemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes, thus making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, and the 4th leading risk factor for any disease.

 

 

A diet high in fruit and vegetables appears to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, but not cancer.

 

Higher intake of fruits and vegetables reduces  the risk of breast cancer, reducing the levels of inflammation in the body, and reducing risk of heart disease, among many other benefits.

 

Compared with individuals who eat less than three servings of fruits and vegetables each day, those that eat more than five servings have an approximately twenty percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or stroke.

 

The more colorful and varied fruits and vegetables the better for a good diet.

 

The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables daily.

 

Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C.