Can a diet rich in vegetables prevent heart disease?

You are probably familiar with the health directive to eat fruits and vegetables every day to help our health.

But does it also prevent cardiovascular disease as past research has shown?

These researchers have a slightly different answer

Walla!

health

24/02/2022

Thursday, 24 February 2022, 08:17 Updated: 08:26

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Most studies dealing with heart disease focus, among other things, on nutrition as a means of preventing them.

Now, a new study has found that eating vegetables is not a safe way to prevent heart disease.

The findings, by researchers at Oxford University, challenge previous studies that suggest a link between higher vegetable intake and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease can be fatal and lead to stroke or heart attack.

It is one of the leading causes of death in the world, but one that as mentioned can be partially prevented by a healthy lifestyle.

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To the full article

In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers warn and clarify that previous studies may not have taken into account other lifestyle factors such as meat consumption, alcohol consumption and smoking, or socioeconomic factors such as income and education.

Despite the claims of the study, the researchers stressed that a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight are extremely important factors when it comes to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

And it is important to remember that according to the World Health Organization, if we include fruits and vegetables in the weekly menu, we will reduce our risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.

In the new dietary recommendations published by the Ministry of Health in Israel, there is a recommendation to consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and preferably in a variety of colors.

It is still very important to eat healthy.

Ketogenic breakfast (Photo: ShutterStock)

Still, the researchers of the new study are not thrilled.

"Our large study found no evidence of a protective effect of consuming vegetables on the occurrence of cardiovascular disease," said the study's lead author, Dr. Qi Feng, an epidemiologist at the Noffield University Department of Population Health. He explained that what looked like The reduction in risk associated with eating vegetables is actually influenced by other factors such as differences in socioeconomic status or lifestyle habits.

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The researchers examined data from 399,586 people enrolled in the British Biobank study.

Of the nearly 400,000 samples tested, 4.5 percent developed cardiovascular disease.

An original analysis of these data found that those with the highest consumption of vegetables reduced their risk of dying from heart disease by 15 percent.

However, this effect was weakened when possible socio-economic, nutritional and health factors were taken into account.

The critique of this study was not long in coming.

"Although this study found that eating more vegetables was not associated with a lower risk of heart disease once lifestyle and other factors were taken into account, it does not mean we should stop eating vegetables," the researchers explained.

"The results are not surprising. Choosing a single ingredient and assuming that just adding it to a diet, such as vegetables, is unlikely to have the desired effect," Alice Lichtenstein, senior director and scientist at the University of Tufts Cardiovascular Nutrition, told CNN. "We should not look at individual foods or nutrients, but at the whole pattern of nutrition," she added.

• health

• Nutrition and diet

• Preventive nutrition

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• vegetables

• diet

• heart diseases

• blood vessel

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