Insufficient vegetable and fruit consumption might be the cause of millions of deaths due to heart strokes and disease every year, says a new study.
The study shows that almost 1 of 7 deaths from heart disease could be a result of not eating enough of fruits while almost 1 of 12 deaths from heart disease could be a result of not consuming enough of vegetables.
Low intake of fruit caused almost 1.8mn deaths from heart disease in the year 2010, while low intake of vegetable caused almost 1mn deaths, as per the researchers. In total, the death toll from suboptimal intake of fruit was nearly twice of vegetables. The health impacts were most serious in countries having lowest average fruit as well as vegetables intakes. Countries in East Asia, South Asia as well as Sub0Saharm Africa had lower intake of fruit and therefore high rates of heart stroke deaths.
Vegetables and fruits are extremely good sources of potassium, fiber, antioxidants, magnesium as well as phenolics that have shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Victoria Miller, the lead author of the study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University said that the findings of the study indicate the requirement for population-related efforts to boost vegetable and fruit consumption in the entire world.
