Fruits, Veggies Improve Cardio Health

BELFAST, Ireland—Among hypertensive volunteers, increased fruit and vegetable consumption produced significant improvements in an established marker of endothelial function and cardiovascular prognosis (Circulation. 2009;119:2153-2160). After a four-week run-in period during which fruit and vegetable intake was limited to one portion per day, participants were randomized to consume either one, three or six portions daily for the next eight weeks. Endothelium-dependent and -independent arterial vasodilator responses were assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography in the brachial circulation before and after intervention. A total of 117 volunteers completed the 12-week study. Participants in the one-, three- and six-portions/d groups reported consuming on average 1.1, 3.2 and 5.6 portions of fruit and vegetables, respectively, and serum concentrations of lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin increased across the groups in a dose-dependent manner. For each one-portion increase in reported fruit and vegetable consumption, there was a 6.2 percent improvement in forearm blood flow responses to intra-arterial administration of the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (P=0.03). There was no association between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and vasodilator responses to sodium nitroprusside, an endothelium-independent vasodilator.