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Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort Studies.
Wang, DD, Li, Y, Bhupathiraju, SN, Rosner, BA, Sun, Q, Giovannucci, EL, Rimm, EB, Manson, JE, Willett, WC, Stampfer, MJ, et al
Circulation. 2021;(17):1642-1654
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The optimal intake levels of fruit and vegetables for maintaining long-term health are uncertain. METHODS We followed 66 719 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2014) and 42 016 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2014) who were free from cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and diabetes at baseline. Diet was assessed using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline and updated every 2 to 4 years. We also conducted a dose-response meta-analysis, including results from our 2 cohorts and 24 other prospective cohort studies. RESULTS We documented 33 898 deaths during the follow-up. After adjustment for known and suspected confounding variables and risk factors, we observed nonlinear inverse associations of fruit and vegetable intake with total mortality and cause-specific mortality attributable to cancer, CVD, and respiratory disease (all Pnonlinear<0.001). Intake of ≈5 servings per day of fruit and vegetables, or 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables, was associated with the lowest mortality, and above that level, higher intake was not associated with additional risk reduction. In comparison with the reference level (2 servings/d), daily intake of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables was associated with hazard ratios (95% CI) of 0.87 (0.85-0.90) for total mortality, 0.88 (0.83-0.94) for CVD mortality, 0.90 (0.86-0.95) for cancer mortality, and 0.65 (0.59-0.72) for respiratory disease mortality. The dose-response meta-analysis that included 145 015 deaths accrued in 1 892 885 participants yielded similar results (summary risk ratio of mortality for 5 servings/d=0.87 [95% CI, 0.85-0.88]; Pnonlinear<0.001). Higher intakes of most subgroups of fruits and vegetables were associated with lower mortality, with the exception of starchy vegetables such as peas and corn. Intakes of fruit juices and potatoes were not associated with total and cause-specific mortality. CONCLUSIONS Higher intakes of fruit and vegetables were associated with lower mortality; the risk reduction plateaued at ≈5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. These findings support current dietary recommendations to increase intake of fruits and vegetables, but not fruit juices and potatoes.
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Relation of Different Fruit and Vegetable Sources With Incident Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.
Zurbau, A, Au-Yeung, F, Blanco Mejia, S, Khan, TA, Vuksan, V, Jovanovski, E, Leiter, LA, Kendall, CWC, Jenkins, DJA, Sievenpiper, JL
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2020;(19):e017728
Abstract
Background Public health policies reflect concerns that certain fruit sources may not have the intended benefits and that vegetables should be preferred to fruit. We assessed the relation of fruit and vegetable sources with cardiovascular outcomes using a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Methods and Results MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched through June 3, 2019. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed study quality (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale). Data were pooled (fixed effects), and heterogeneity (Cochrane-Q and I2) and certainty of the evidence (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) were assessed. Eighty-one cohorts involving 4 031 896 individuals and 125 112 cardiovascular events were included. Total fruit and vegetables, fruit, and vegetables were associated with decreased cardiovascular disease (risk ratio, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.89-0.96]; 0.91 [0.88-0.95]; and 0.94 [0.90-0.97], respectively), coronary heart disease (0.88 [0.83-0.92]; 0.88 [0.84-0.92]; and 0.92 [0.87-0.96], respectively), and stroke (0.82 [0.77-0.88], 0.82 [0.79-0.85]; and 0.88 [0.83-0.93], respectively) incidence. Total fruit and vegetables, fruit, and vegetables were associated with decreased cardiovascular disease (0.89 [0.85-0.93]; 0.88 [0.86-0.91]; and 0.87 [0.85-0.90], respectively), coronary heart disease (0.81 [0.72-0.92]; 0.86 [0.82-0.90]; and 0.86 [0.83-0.89], respectively), and stroke (0.73 [0.65-0.81]; 0.87 [0.84-0.91]; and 0.94 [0.90-0.99], respectively) mortality. There were greater benefits for citrus, 100% fruit juice, and pommes among fruit sources and allium, carrots, cruciferous, and green leafy among vegetable sources. No sources showed an adverse association. The certainty of the evidence was "very low" to "moderate," with the highest for total fruit and/or vegetables, pommes fruit, and green leafy vegetables. Conclusions Fruits and vegetables are associated with cardiovascular benefit, with some sources associated with greater benefit and none showing an adverse association. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03394339.
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Fruit and vegetable intake and liver cancer risk: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Guo, XF, Shao, XF, Li, JM, Li, S, Li, KL, Li, D
Food & function. 2019;(8):4478-4485
Abstract
The associations of vegetable and fruit intake with liver cancer risk have been inconsistent based on epidemiological studies. The present study aimed to quantitatively evaluate these associations with prospective cohort studies. A systematic literature search was performed with PubMed and Scopus databases up to June 2019. Multivariate-adjusted relative risks (RRs) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for the highest versus lowest category were pooled by using a random-effects model. Pre-specified subgroup and univariate meta-regression analyses were performed to identify the sources of heterogeneity. Dose-response analysis was conducted by using the variance weighted least squares regression model. Nine independent prospective cohort studies with 1703 liver cancer events and 1 326 176 participants were included for data synthesis. The summary estimates showed that higher vegetable intake was associated with a 39% (95%CI: 0.50, 0.75) reduction in liver cancer risk, with no significant between-study heterogeneity (P = 0.057). Dose-response analysis indicated that the risk of liver cancer was reduced by 4% (95%CI: 0.97, 0.95; P for trend <0.001) with a 100 gram per day increment of vegetable intake. Subgroup analysis showed that higher intakes of vegetables were associated with a 50% (95%CI: 0.35, 0.72) reduction of liver cancer risk in males, but not in females. However, a non-significant association was found between fruit intake and liver cancer risk. The present study provides strong evidence that higher intakes of vegetables would have beneficial effects on the prevention of liver cancer, especially for males.
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Effect of environmental changes on vegetable and legume yields and nutritional quality.
Scheelbeek, PFD, Bird, FA, Tuomisto, HL, Green, R, Harris, FB, Joy, EJM, Chalabi, Z, Allen, E, Haines, A, Dangour, AD
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2018;(26):6804-6809
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Abstract
Environmental changes threaten agricultural production, food security, and health. Previous reviews suggest that environmental changes will substantially affect future yields of starchy dietary staples. To date, no comprehensive global analysis of the impacts of environmental change on (nonstaple) vegetables and legumes-important constituents of healthy diets-has been reported. We systematically searched for articles published between 1975 and 2016 on the effects of ambient temperature, tropospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), and ozone (O3) concentrations, water availability, and salinization on yields and nutritional quality of vegetables and legumes. We estimated mean effects of standardized environmental changes using observed exposure-response relationships and conducted meta-analyses where possible. We identified 174 relevant papers reporting 1,540 experiments. The mean (95% CI) reported yield changes for all vegetables and legumes combined were +22.0% (+11.6% to +32.5%) for a 250-ppm increase in CO2 concentration, -8.9% (-15.6% to -2.2%) for a 25% increase in O3 concentration,-34.7% (-44.6% to -24.9%) for a 50% reduction in water availability, and -2.3% (-3.7% to -0.9%) for a 25% increase in salinity. In papers with baseline temperatures >20 °C, a 4 °C increase in temperature reduced mean yields by -31.5% (-41.4% to -21.5%). Impacts of environmental changes on nutritional quality were mixed. In a business-as-usual scenario, predicted changes in environmental exposures would lead to reductions in yields of nonstaple vegetables and legumes. Where adaptation possibilities are limited, this may substantially change their global availability, affordability, and consumption in the mid to long term. Our results stress the importance of prioritizing agricultural developments, to minimize potential reductions in vegetable and legume yields and associated negative health effects.
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The role of inorganic nitrate and nitrite in cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human evidence.
Jackson, JK, Patterson, AJ, MacDonald-Wicks, LK, Oldmeadow, C, McEvoy, MA
Nutrition reviews. 2018;(5):348-371
Abstract
CONTEXT Depleted nitric oxide levels in the human body play a major role in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. Inorganic nitrate/nitrite (rich dietary sources include beetroot and spinach) can act as a nitric oxide donor because nitrate/nitrite can be metabolized to produce nitric oxide. OBJECTIVE This review and meta-analysis sought to investigate the role of inorganic nitrate/nitrite in preventing or treating cardiovascular disease risk factors in humans. DATA SOURCES Electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, and Scopus, were searched. DATA EXTRACTION Experimental trials examining the effect of oral inorganic nitrate/nitrite intake on cardiovascular disease risk factors were included for systematic analysis. RESULTS Thirty-four studies were included for qualitative synthesis, 23 of which were eligible for meta-analysis. Included studies measured the following outcomes: blood pressure, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, platelet aggregation, and/or blood lipids. Inorganic nitrate intake was found to significantly reduce resting blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: -4.80 mmHg, P < 0.0001; diastolic blood pressure: -1.74 mmHg, P = 0.001), improve endothelial function (flow-mediated dilatation: 0.59%, P < 0.0001), reduce arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity: -0.23 m/s, P < 0.0001; augmentation index: -2.1%, P = 0.05), and reduce platelet aggregation by 18.9% (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Inorganic nitrate consumption represents a simple strategy for targeting cardiovascular disease risk factors. Future studies investigating the long-term effects of inorganic nitrate on cardiovascular disease outcomes are warranted.
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Intake of Fruit and Vegetables and the Incident Risk of Cognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.
Wu, L, Sun, D, Tan, Y
The journal of nutrition, health & aging. 2017;(10):1284-1290
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES No quantitative assessment has been performed to specifically link the consumption of fruit and vegetables with the incident risk of cognitive disorders. METHODS We searched the PubMed and the Embase databases (both from the inception to June 13th, 2016) for records that report the intake of fruit and vegetables and the risk of developing cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cognitive decline/impairment). A generic inverse-variance method (random-effects model) was used to combine the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To explore the potential sources of heterogeneity, we performed the subgroup and meta-regression analyses by pre-specified characteristics. RESULTS We identified 6 cohorts involving a total of 21,175 participants. The pooled analysis showed that consumption of fruit and vegetables was inversely associated with the incident risk of cognitive disorders, and the pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.74 (0.62, 0.88), with evidence of significant heterogeneity (I2 =68%). Furthermore, we found that the significant heterogeneity might be attributed to the ethnic difference. CONCLUSION Further large prospective studies should be performed to quantify the potential dose-response patterns of fruit and/or vegetables intake and to explore the role of fruit or vegetables consumption separately on cognitive disorders in different populations.
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Foliar interception of radionuclides in dry conditions: a meta-analysis using a Bayesian modeling approach.
Sy, MM, Ancelet, S, Henner, P, Hurtevent, P, Simon-Cornu, M
Journal of environmental radioactivity. 2015;:63-75
Abstract
Uncertainty on the parameters that describe the transfer of radioactive materials into the (terrestrial) environment may be characterized thanks to datasets such as those compiled within International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documents. Nevertheless, the information included in these documents is too poor to derive a relevant and informative uncertainty distribution regarding dry interception of radionuclides by the pasture grass and the leaves of vegetables. In this paper, 145 sets of dry interception measurements by the aboveground biomass of specific plants were collected from published scientific papers. A Bayesian meta-analysis was performed to derive the posterior probability distributions of the parameters that reflect their uncertainty given the collected data. Four competing models were compared in terms of both fitting performances and predictive abilities to reproduce plausible dry interception data. The asymptotic interception factor, applicable whatever the species and radionuclide to the highest aboveground biomass values (e.g. mature leafy vegetables), was estimated with the best model, to be 0.87 with a 95% credible interval (0.85, 0.89).
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Pickled vegetables and the risk of oesophageal cancer: a meta-analysis.
Islami, F, Ren, JS, Taylor, PR, Kamangar, F
British journal of cancer. 2009;(9):1641-7
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecological and experimental studies have suggested a relationship between Asian pickled vegetable consumption and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but the results of epidemiological studies investigating the association have been inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies of this association to evaluate the existing evidence. METHODS We searched the PubMed, ISI-Web of Science, J-EAST, IndMed, Vip Chinese Periodical, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for all studies published in English or Chinese languages. Pooled results for all studies combined and for several study subgroups were computed. RESULTS A total of 34 studies were included in this analysis. The overall random effects odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for pickled vegetable consumption was 2.08 (1.66-2.60), but the results were heterogeneous across studies. After excluding the three most influential studies, the respective numbers were 2.32 (1.92-2.81). Similar to the overall association, the majority of subgroup analyses showed a statistically significant association between consuming pickled vegetables and OSCC risk. There were only three prospective studies. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a potential two-fold increased risk of oesophageal cancer associated with the intake of pickled vegetables. However, because the majority of data was from retrospective studies and there was a high heterogeneity in the results, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted.