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

Objective: To evaluate the effect of fruit and vegetables consumption on markers of risk for cardiovascular disease. Design: Randomised, diet controlled, parallel study. Subjects. Forty-eight apparently healthy (40-60y) volunteers with a low usual consumption of fruit and vegetables. Forty-seven of them completed the study. Interventions: During 4 weeks 24 volunteers consumed a standardised meal, consisting of 500 g/day fruit and vegetables and 200ml/day fruit juice ('high' group) and 23 volunteers consumed 100 g/day fruit and vegetables ('low' group). with an energy and fat controlled diet. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. Sponsorship: Product Board for Horticulture, The Greenery, Ministry of Agriculture, The Netherlands.