Can protect fruits and vegetables against diseases?

Fruit and vegetables are healthy – everyone knows that. But if they really can reduce the risk of certain diseases and, if so, for what, is less clear.

Obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus are typical diet-related diseases, which in turn can even draw a number of sequelae after themselves. That they may be caused by lack of exercise as well as by a too fat and sugar rich diet, is well known. But how the targeted supply of healthy food, especially fruits and vegetables, affects the formation of risk of individual diseases is not yet fully explored. A recent study by the American Society for Nutrition provides for more clarity.

The existing epidemiological studies that have examined the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the emergence of certain diseases, a comprehensive analysis has undergone. The research show that a high fruit and vegetable consumption may reduce the risk of various diseases. This is especially true for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke. But also for other diseases such as cancer and dementia can be the preventive potential of a healthy diet show.

80 percent of heart attacks are preventable through healthy lifestyle.

The evidence for the preventive effect of fruits and vegetables, however, is less pronounced for various diseases. With high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke, it is almost proven that a healthy diet can reduce the risk of disease. In dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and certain eye diseases, the situation is less clear. But even here, there are increasing indications that a healthy diet can have a preventive effect.

More complex raises the study location is in cancer. So the diet especially in postmenopausal breast cancer is important if it has an influence on the estrogen concentration. Dies ist meist in der Verbindung mit anderen Risk factors for obesity and alcohol consumption by the case. A healthy diet alone appears to have little impact here. For colorectal cancer, however, the relationship is clear. In addition to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is here primarily to a meat diet and sufficient to ensure movement.

The reasons for the preventive effect of fruits and vegetables are many. Firstly, they provide essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. At the same time they carry the organism little energy and fat. However, the budget for health effects could also be related that those who eat more fruits and vegetables, automatically take less animal food and therefore less unhealthy saturated fat to be. According to a National Nutrition Survey, 87 percent of Germans eat less than the recommended 400 grams of vegetables per day, 59 percent consume less than 250 grams of fruit per day.