Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains Prevent Multiple Diseases

Researchers from Quebec have found yet another reason to add more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet; increasing your intake of these foods may reduce your risk of multiple diseases. A research team from the Institut national de santé publique du Quebec examined data from 1,020 Chinese participants in the Jiangsu Longitudinal Study, an ongoing investigation with initial data collection in 2002 and follow-up conducted in 2007. They analyzed information from participants’ three-day dietary recalls in order to determine nutrient consumption. In addition, the researchers investigated the occurrences of eleven chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, anemia, coronary heart disease, asthma, stroke, cancer, fracture, arthritis, and hepatitis. Participants were categorized into six different groups, according to their health status in regards to development and progression of disease, ranging from “healthy” to “stable with a single chronic disease” to “increasing multimorbidity,” (the presence of two or more medical conditions in an individual, such as hypertension and diabetes) and categories in-between.

After taking into account several lifestyle and genetic factors, researchers found that individuals in the “healthy” category ate a significantly higher intake of fruits and vegetables and twice the amount of grain products (with the exception of wheat and rice) as any other group. The authors of the study concluded that having a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, such as oats, corn, rye, barley, quinoa, millet, and sorghum may be helpful in preventing multiple chronic diseases.

Image: Farmers Market, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN