Fruit and vegetable consumption as a preventative strategy for non-communicable diseases

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• High fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is consistently associated with reduced non-communicable disease (NCD) risk.
• Evidence primarily stems from observational studies, with meta-analyses showing links to reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• Controlled intervention trials are limited, and observational data faces methodological uncertainties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence linking FV consumption to disease risk.
• To identify barriers to increasing FV intake.
• To inform strategies for promoting FV consumption.

Main Methods:

• Review of prospective cohort studies and meta-analyses.
• Discussion of methodological limitations in observational research.
• Consideration of barriers to FV consumption.

Main Results:

• Strong epidemiological evidence links higher FV intake to reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and stroke.
• Evidence for reduced cancer and diabetes risk is less certain.
• National surveys indicate suboptimal FV intake, with no increase over time.

Conclusions:

• FV consumption is associated with reduced NCD risk, primarily supported by observational data.
• Barriers to increasing FV intake are multifaceted (economic, physical, behavioral) and require context-specific interventions.
• Public health strategies must address these barriers and consider the broader food system.