cardiovascular disease

More Fruits, Vegetables Could Significantly Reduce CVD Deaths Globally

Researchers may have identified yet another reason to encourage patients to eat “an apple a day,” as the adage says. New findings presented at Nutrition 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland, suggest that individuals who do not consume enough fruits and vegetables have a significantly increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD).1

“Fruits and vegetables are a modifiable component of diet that can impact preventable deaths globally,” Victoria Miller, PhD, lead study author and postdoctoral researcher at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, said of the findings in a press release.2

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Specifically, Dr Miller and colleagues’ analysis of data from 266 surveys, representing approximately 82% of the world’s population, suggests that the underconsumption of fruits and vegetables in 2010 was associated with:

  • An estimated 521,395 deaths (proportion attribution factor [PAF] 7.5%) and 809,425 deaths (PAF 11.6%), respectively, due to coronary heart disease per year.
  • An estimated 1,255,978 deaths (PAF 21.7%) and 210,849 deaths (PAF 3.6%), respectively, due to stroke per year.


Populations most affected by insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables were men and younger adults. Of the world’s 20 most populous countries, residents of China and India were found to have the largest numbers of deaths from inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, respectively (541,564 deaths [PAF 20.3%] and 199,364 deaths [PAF 11.6%], respectively).

Increasing Evidence Supporting Plant-Based Dietary Patterns

This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that diets favoring plant-based eating patterns tend to be associated with lower risks of various chronic diseases and mortality.

A study presented by Baden et al earlier this year at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health 2019 Scientific Sessions suggested that long-term consumption of high-quality, plant-based diets rich in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts was tied to decreased overall and CVD-related mortality.3

The findings also echo those of an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 by Afshin et al, which was recently published in The Lancet. Afshin et al found that the underconsumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, among other foods, were among the top contributors to mortality and were even associated with more deaths than tobacco smoking globally.4 They called for existing efforts, such as the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, to take this into account.4

The authors of the present study echoed these sentiments. “Global nutrition priorities have traditionally focused on providing sufficient calories, vitamin supplementation, and reducing additives like salt and sugar,” explained Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, senior study author and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, in a press release.2

In light of ever-emerging findings on the health benefits of plant food consumption, Dr Miller and colleagues emphasize the need to increase availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables around the world. This course of action would likely have “tremendous potential for improving global health,” Dr Mozaffarian said in a press release.2

—Christina Vogt

References:

  1. Miller V, Cudhea F, Singh G, et al. Estimated global, regional, and national cardiovascular disease burdens related to fruit and vegetable consumption: an analysis from the global dietary database. Paper presented at: Nutrition 2019; June 8, 2019; Baltimore, MD.
  2. Millions of cardiovascular deaths attributed to not eating enough fruits and vegetables [press release]. Baltimore, MD. American Society for Nutrition. June 8, 2019. Accessed June 8, 2019.
  3. Baden MY, Liu G, Satija A, et al. Association of changes in plant-based diet indices with total and cause-specific mortality. Paper presented at: American Heart Association Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health; March 5-8, 2019; Houston, TX.
  4. GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 [Published online April 3, 2019]. Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8.