The number of Americans affected by diseases related in part to poor fruit and vegetable intake is staggeringly high:
Seriously Overweight/Obese (1) 129,250,000
High Blood Pressure(1) 50,000,000
Diabetes (2) 17,000,000
Coronary Heart Disease(1) 12,900,000
Osteoporosis (3) 10,000,000
Cancer (4) 8,900,000
Stroke (1) 4,700,000
(1) American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2003 Update. Dallas, TX: AHA, 2002.
(2) CDC/DHHS. Diabetes: Disabling, Deadly, and on the Rise, at-a-Glance 2002. Atlanta: CDC, 2002.
(3) National Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis Disease Statistics: Fast Facts. Accessed at on January 10, 2002.
(4) American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2003. Atlanta, GA: ACS, 2003.
Four out of the five leading causes of death are related in part to inadequate fruit and vegetable intake:
Death in the U.S. - 2001
Heart Disease - 699,697
Cancer - 553,251
Stroke - 163,601
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 123,974
Accidents - 97,707
Diabetes - 71,252
Source: National Vital Statistics Reports 3/14/2003: 51(5)
What are our poor diets costing us?
• As a Nation: National health care expenditures (in billions of dollars): increased by 188%, from $696 billion to $1,310 billion between 1990 and 2000. Another increase from $1,310 billion to $1,907.30 billion (146%) is projected to occur between the year 2000 and 2005.
• As Individuals: Per capita health care costs increased 153% between 1990 and 2000, from $2,738 to $4,178 per person. Between now and 2005, costs are expected to climb to $6,525 per person, an increase of 156%.
• Evidence is increasing that the rise in health care costs is not being totally covered by employers – employee pay is being cut to compensate.
High Fruit and Vegetable Intake is Associated with Reduced Risk of ‘Killer’ Diseases
In persons with diabetes, the highest level of risk reduction for coronary heart disease (CHD) was found among persons eating eight servings or more of fruits and vegetables per day (Joshipura et al, Ann Int Med 2001; 134:1106-1114)
The PREMIER study (an extension of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or DASH study) found that 8-10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables helped to significantly reduce blood pressure and bodyweight, as part of a lifestyle approach to blood pressure reduction (Appel et al, JAMA 2003; 289:2083-2093).
The Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study found that intake of the highest amounts of fruits and vegetables (10.2 servings/day in women and 9.2 servings per day in men) was found to reduce risk of stroke in women and men by 26% and 39%, respectively (Joshipura et al, 1999; JAMA 282:12831289).
Eating 4 -6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day was found to lower the risk for esophageal cancer by 40-60%, compared to persons eating only 1 – 2 servings per day (Terry et al, JNCI 2001; 93:525-533.).
In the Boyd Orr cohort, persons who consumed the most fruit during childhood had the lowest risk for developing cancer as adults (Maynard et al, J Epidemiol Community Health 2003; 57:218-225).
Tip: When shopping, try to limit buying to items that are on the perimeter of the store. These items are usually the produce, dairy and meat sections. The rest of the items in the store are the processed products. I don't call them food because they have been highly processed. Basically it is dead food.
My general recommendation is to add a quality multivitamin to your daily intake and as an option a green foods drink. These green foods products supply more than the recommended levels of needed phytonutients when used on a daily basis. Your immune system will thank you. This office recommends
this product and it is available here at the office.