Fruit and vegetables and cardiovascular risk profile: a diet controlled intervention study

To evaluate the effect of fruit and vegetables consumption on markers of risk for cardiovascular disease.

Randomised, diet controlled, parallel study.

Forty-eight apparently healthy (40--60 y) volunteers with a low usual consumption of fruit and vegetables. Forty-seven of them completed the study.

During 4 weeks 24 volunteers consumed a standardised meal, consisting of 500 g/day fruit and vegetables and 200 ml/day fruit juice ('high' group) and 23 volunteers consumed 100 g/day fruit and vegetables ('low' group) with an energy and fat controlled diet.

Final total cholesterol was 0.2 (95% CI -0.5--0.03) mmol/l lower in the high group than in the low group (P>0.05). Final fibrinogen and systolic blood pressure were 0.1 (-0.1--0.4) g/l and 2.8 (-2.6--8.1) mmHg higher in the high group than in the low group (P>0.05), respectively. Also, other final serum lipid concentrations, diastolic blood pressure and other haemostatic factors did not differ between both groups.

This was a small randomised well-controlled dietary intervention trial of short duration with a considerable contrast in fruit and vegetable consumption. No effects on serum lipids, blood pressure and haemostatic variables were observed.