For example, a British study found that eating fresh fruit every day was linked to a 24% reduction
in death from heart disease, and even just eating a raw salad once a day was associated with a 26%
reduction in mortality from heart disease.^106
The benefits of regular fruit and vegetable consumption have been linked to several different heart
and vessel protective compounds found in plant-based foods.
Flavonoids are compounds found in fruits and vegetables that have diverse beneficial
biochemical and antioxidant effects. Studies conducted in Europe have shown that people
with the highest amount of flavonoids in their diet have a 60% lower risk of dying from
heart disease and a 70% lower risk of having a stroke than those with lower flavonoid
intakes. Lycopene (the red pigment found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon) is another
potent antioxidant with significant cardiovascular benefits. In the EURAMIC study, men
with a high daily intake of lycopene had a 48% lower risk of having a heart attack
(myocardial infarction) than those with a low intake.^107Having enough whole grains in your diet is probably just as important to your cardiovascular health
as eating fruits and vegetables every day. Several epidemiologic studies have shown that diets rich
in whole grains may protect against heart disease.^108 In the Nurses' Health Study, the highest
consumption of whole grains was associated with a 35-40% reduction in risk of heart disease,
stroke and type-2 diabetes. In the Adventist Health Study, regular consumption of whole wheat
bread reduced the risk of both fatal and non-fatal heart diseases by 40-50%.
Whole grains contain a number of beneficial nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamin E, magnesium
and folate,^109 which may work within the body to reduce blood pressure, enhance insulin
(^106) Key TJA, Thorogood M, Appleby PN, et al. Dietary habits and mortality in 11,000 Vegetarians and health conscious
people: results of 17-year follow up. Br Med J. 1996;313:775-779.
(^107) Clinton SK. Lycopene: chemistry, biology, and implications for human health and disease. Nutr Rev. 1998;56:35-51.
(^108) Jacobs DR Jr, Meyer KA, Kushi LH, Folsom AR. Whole-grain intake may reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease death
in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;68:248-257.
Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, et al. Whole-grain consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: results from the Nurses’
Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70:412-419.
Jacobs DR Jr, Meyer KA, Kushi LH, Folsom AR. Is whole grain intake associated with reduced total and cause-specific death
rates in older women? The Iowa Women’s Health Study. Am J Public Health. 1999;89:32 2 - 329.
(^109) Slavin JL, Martini MC, Jacobs DR Jr, Marquart L. Plausible mechanisms for the protectiveness of whole grains. Am J Clin
Nutr. 1999;70(suppl):459S-463S.