(NaturalNews) Researchers publishing in the European Heart Journal have released the result of a study examining the diet of more than 300,000 men and women from eight European countries. They found that those individuals eating the most fruits and vegetable servings per day experienced the lowest level of ischemic heart disease (IHD), the most common form of the illness.
Ischemic heart disease is characterized by a reduced blood supply to the heart due to narrowed vessels from coronary plaque or chronic levels of inflammation that constrict blood flow. The end result is a greatly increased risk of heart attack as blood flow to the critical organ is shut off.
Data from this research comes from the long-running European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study that began in 1992. An analysis shows that people eating at least eight servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day have a 22% lower risk of dying from IHD compared to those taking less than three daily servings. A serving is defined as approximately 80 grams or the equivalent of a small banana or medium apple.
Dietary analysis was determined by using a standard questionnaire, and factors including health, socio-economic status, and lifestyle, as well as smoking, drinking and exercise habits were taken into account. Dr. Francesca Crowe of the University of Oxford in England observed"This study involved over 300,000 people in eight different European countries, with 1,636 deaths from IHD. It shows a 4% reduced risk of dying from IHD for each additional portion of fruit and vegetables consumed."
In an effort to better understand the result of data collected over the eight and a half year course of this leg of the study, researchers made allowances for external factors such as differences in lifestyle and eating habits. The researchers did caution that people tend to report a higher intake of fruits and vegetables when completing questionnaires and that may skew the results slightly in either direction.
The final analysis of this leg of the EPIC study provides conclusive evidence that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables have a consistent and measurable impact on the risk of death from a heart attack. Professor Michael Marmot, director of the University College London in an accompanying editorial explains,"Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. A reduction of 22% is huge. Reductions in cancers of several sites, in blood pressure and stroke, would add to this reduction in fatal CHD. Moving to a diet that emphasizes fruit and vegetables is of great importance to public health."
The association between lowered heart attack risk and increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is well known among health-minded people. The ongoing results from the EPIC study continue to reinforce the importance of a diet high in natural foods to maintain health and lower the risk from ischemic heart disease.
Article References:
http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org...
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...
http://www.bmedreport.com/archives/...
About the author
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. VisitMy Optimal Health Resourceto continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your Free 48 page copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.
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(NaturalNews) A new study gives some credence to the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" -- at least concerning strokes. In a study published inStroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, Dutch researchers found that eating apples, pears and other white-fleshed fruits and vegetables might lessen stroke risk by a dramatic 52%:Health Enclavereports. Authors of the investigation considered the findings a little surprising, because recent research has recommended vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables as the most beneficial for health.
In the research, which examined the diets of 20,000 adults over a ten year period, authors investigated the association between the color of consumed fruits and stroke incidence. Participants were required to complete a food frequency questionnaire, which segmented the fleshy part of fruits and vegetables into four color groups: orange/yellow, red/purple, green and white. After comparing the stroke incidence with the diet of the participants, researches found no link with the quantity of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Conversely, participants who had a daily intake of 171 grams of white-fleshed produce had a stroke incidence 52% lower than those whose daily intake of such foods was less than 75 grams. White-fleshed produce includes apples, pears, bananas, cauliflower and cucumbers, and the quantity of 171 grams correlates to one medium-to-large apple.
Although it is unclear why white-fleshed produce dramatically reduced stroke risk, scientists made some postulations. The fiber found in apples and pears is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Additionally, apples and pears have a high content of a flavonoid called quercetin, which studies have shown to reduce inflammation. This anti-inflammatory benefit could be a significant contributing factor, since inflammation is associated with hardening of the arteries.
Upon evaluating the results of the investigation, author Linda M. Oude Greip provided some recommendations. She cautioned that the findings need to be confirmed by further research; however, she stated it might be beneficial to eat plenty of white produce, and eating one apple a day is an easy method of increasing the intake of these healthful foods. On the other hand, Oude Greip emphatically advised the public to consume brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, since they are protective against other chronic ailments.
It should be emphasized that the phytochemicals found in vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables have been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, along with a benefit to heart health. Jessica Shapiro, a wellness dietitian in New York City, adds her voice to Oude Greip's recommendation of continuing to include brightly colored produce in the diet:USA Todaynotes. Shapiro points out that the rainbow of fruits and vegetables contribute nutrients that work synergistically with each other.
http://www.healthenclave.com/news/a...
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Mary West is the creator of a natural healing website where she focuses on solutions to health problems that work without side effects. You may visit her website to learn more athttp://www.alternativemedicinetruth.com.
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(NaturalNews) Health-minded individuals are well aware that a diet high in natural fruits and vegetables equate to vibrant health and dramatically lowered risk of many chronic diseases. The result of a new study published in theJournal of the American Dietetic Associationprovides details on how specific fruit and vegetable consumption lowers the incidence of many types of colon cancer, the third most prevalent form of the disease. Foods such as apples, broccoli and cauliflower each lower the risk of cancer initiation in different parts of the colon while high sugar, fiber-void fruit juices are shown to increase risk of the illness. Nutrition scientists from Australia provide important documentation to confirm the importance of eating a colorful selection of fruits and vegetables to lower colon cancer risk.
Nutrition researchers have designed studies to examine the effect of healthy diet on colon cancer risk in the past, but the protective effect has been debatable as they do not provide specific results for different foods on the key regions or subsites of the colon. Professor Lin Fritschi, PhD, head of the Epidemiology Group at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, and her research team set out to investigate the link between fruit and vegetables and three cancers in different parts of the bowel: proximal colon cancer, distal colon cancer and rectal cancer.
Colon Cancer Risk Lowered by Eating a Wide Variety of Brightly Colored Fruits and Vegetables
The controlled study included 918 participants with a confirmed colon cancer diagnosis and compared them with 1021 individuals with no history of the digestive disease. All participants completed extensive nutritional and demographic questionnaires to account for potential conflicts such as socioeconomic status. Analysis of the data showed that specific fruit and vegetables from similar varietal families affect risk for colon cancer in different portions of the digestive tract.
With respect to different fruit and vegetable consumption, the researchers found a reduced rate of proximal colon cancer linked to eating brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. In addition, both total vegetable intake and total vegetable and fruit intake were linked to a lower risk of distal colon cancer. And finally a significant reduction in distal colon cancer risk was linked to dark yellow vegetables and apples.
There should be no doubt that natural fruits and vegetables consumed raw or minimally cooked to retain the active enzymes is a critical factor in digestive health that dramatically lowers the risk of colon cancer and other chronic conditions as well. This study conveys the important nature of eating a wide variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, high in phytonutrient content, to provide a protective shield at different colon subsites and throughout the body.
Sources for this article include:
http://adajournal.org/webfiles/imag...
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...
About the author:
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. VisitMy Optimal Health Resourceto continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your Free 48 page copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/033764_fruits_and_vegetables_colon_cancer.html#ixzz1kP0sxkzN
