Mom's Advice May Save Lives
'Eat your fruit and vegetables,' is good advice, especially when it comes to addressing heart disease risk
A study of more than 300,000 people suggests that Mom was right. "Eat your fruit and vegetables," is good advice, especially when it comes to addressing heart disease risk.
Focus on food to lower heart disease risk
Researchers collected information on diet and exercise habits, medical conditions, and other health-related behaviors, such as alcohol and tobacco use, from men and women in eight European countries. None of the study participants had experienced a heart attack or stroke before the start of the study. The group was followed for an average of 8.4 years.
After accounting for other factors that may affect the risk of dying of heart disease, the researchers found that compared with people eating fewer than three servings of fruit and vegetables per day, those who ate eight or more servings of these foods daily had 22% lower risk of having a fatal heart attack. As well, risk of death due to heart disease dropped by 4% for each additional 80-gram portion--about 3 ounces--of fruit and vegetables a person ate each day.
Maintaining a happy heart
This study is observational, which means the participants were not assigned to follow a particular diet. While observational studies cannot prove cause and effect, this study suggests that eating more fruit and vegetables can lower your risk of dying of heart disease and the findings are consistent with other research that has shown a relationship between a healthy diet and reduced risk of heart disease. Plus, there are lots of other reasons to eat more of these healthy foods.
Try these tips for bringing down your heart disease risk:
(Eur Heart J Jan 18, 2011; published online before print)
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, an author, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in chronic disease prevention, epidemiology, and nutrition, has taught medical, nursing, public health, and alternative medicine coursework. She has delivered over 150 invited lectures to health professionals and consumers and is the creator of a nutrition website acclaimed by the New York Times and Time magazine. Suzanne received her training in epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health at Ann Arbor.