Positive Health Online

Abstract

BHUPATHIRAJU and COLLEAGUES,  Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (SNB, NMW, WCW, and FBH); Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (AP); the Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (JEM and KMR); the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (JEM, WCW, EBR, and FBH); and the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (WCW, EBR, and FBH) prospectively examined the independent roles of quantity and variety in fruit and vegetable intake in relation to incident coronary heart disease (CHD).

Background

Dietary guidelines recommend increasing fruit and vegetable intake and, most recently, have also suggested increasing variety.

Methodology

The authors prospectively followed 71,141 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2008) and 42,135 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2008) who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer at baseline. Diet was assessed by using a validated questionnaire and updated every 4 y. Variety was defined as the number of unique fruit and vegetables consumed at least once per week. Potatoes, legumes, and fruit juices were not included in our definition of fruit and vegetables.

Results

During follow-up, we documented 2582 CHD cases in women and 3607 cases in men. In multivariable analyses, after adjustment for dietary and nondietary covariates, those in the highest quintile of fruit and vegetable intake had a 17% lower risk (95% CI: 9%, 24%) of CHD. A higher consumption of citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables, and beta-carotene- and vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables was associated with a lower CHD risk. Conversely, quantity-adjusted variety was not associated with CHD.

Conclusion

This data suggest that absolute quantity, rather than variety, in fruit and vegetable intake is associated with a significantly lower risk of CHD. Nevertheless, consumption of specific fruit and vegetable subgroups was associated with a lower CHD risk.

References

Bhupathiraju SN, Wedick NM, Pan A, Manson JE, Rexrode KM, Willett WC, Rimm EB and Hu FB. Quantity and variety in fruit and vegetable intake and risk of coronary heart disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  98(6):1514-23. Dec 2013. Other ID: NLM. PMC3831537 [Available on 12/01/14]. 2013.

Comment

This high quality research from one of the most prestigious international epidemiological research units at Harvard University indicates the significant health and clinical benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD).