White fleshed fruit and vegetable consumption slashes stroke risk in half

Monday, September 26, 2011 by: John Phillip
Tags: stroke risk, fruits, health news

(NaturalNews) Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America, affecting nearly one million people and taking the lives of 150,000 each year. Researchers publishing in the American Heart Association journal Stroke have found that increased consumption of white fleshy vegetables and fruits such as apples and pears leads to a dramatic decline in both incidence and death from a stroke. This study is the first to differentiate between different colors in fruits and vegetables and the risk for developing a specific disease or illness. Beneficial phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids found in the white flesh and skin of apples and pears can dramatically lower your risk of suffering the devastating physical damage caused by a stroke.

Nutrition scientists have long known that the brightly colored skin and flesh of fruits and vegetables confer the health benefits normally associated with eating these foods. To further examine this link, researchers examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable color group consumption and contrasted it with 10-year stroke incidence in a cohort of 20,069 adults, with an average age of 41. Participants were disease-free at the outset of the study and were asked to complete a 178-item food frequency questionnaire detailing foods consumed over the past year.

Fruit and vegetable consumption was broken into four distinct groups, based on pigment color: Green (including dark leafy vegetables), orange/yellow (mostly citrus fruits), red/purple (mostly red vegetables) and white (of which 55 percent were apples and pears). Follow up proceeded for a period of ten years during which time 233 strokes were confirmed. Green, orange/yellow and red/purple varieties of fruits and vegetables were found to have no correlation with stroke incidence.

Apples and Pears Dramatically Lower Stroke Incidence
White fleshed fruits and vegetables demonstrated a 52% lower incidence of stroke over the ten-year period when those consuming the highest amounts were compared to the group with the lowest intake. The researchers found that each 25 gram per day increase in white fruits and vegetable consumption was associated with a 9 percent lower risk of stroke (the average apple is 120 grams).

The lead study author from Wageningen University in the Netherlands concluded "To prevent stroke, it may be useful to consume considerable amounts of white fruits and vegetables... For example, eating one apple a day is an easy way to increase white fruits and vegetable intake." Apples and pears are high in a nutrient known as quercetin and fiber that may convey part of the stroke risk reduction. It's critical to eat a diet packed with fruits and vegetables of all colors to take advantage of the disease-fighting characteristics of a multitude of carotenoids and flavonoids. Future research studies are planned.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09...
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234...

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.