Fruit and vegetable recipes lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, research shows
- Those with a fruit and vegetable prescription had lower BMI, blood sugar, and blood pressure
- On average, people on prescription ate an extra portion of fruit and vegetables per day
Prescribing people $50 worth of fruits and vegetables a month could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, research suggests.
Scientists have found that adults at risk of cardiovascular disease who received prescriptions for free produce ate more fruits and vegetables and had lower blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI).
A team from Tufts University in America analyzed data from 1,817 children and 2,064 adults enrolled in vegetable prescription programs across the country.
They were all identified as being at risk for cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes, and were from low-income neighborhoods.
Adults who participated reported eating an extra serving of fruit or vegetables per day on average, while children’s intake increased by a quarter cup
Adults with high blood pressure saw their levels drop, while those with diabetes also recorded a drop in their blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, obese adults recorded an average 0.5 drop in their BMI score
Most participants received a voucher or card – the equivalent of around £50 a month – which could be redeemed at selected supermarkets or farmers’ markets.
At the beginning and end of the programs, which ranged from four to ten months, all participants answered questions about their fruit and vegetable consumption and their health.
Adults who participated reported eating an extra serving of fruit or vegetables per day on average, while children’s intake increased by a quarter cup.
Adults with high blood pressure saw their levels drop, while those with diabetes also recorded a drop in their blood sugar levels.
Meanwhile, obese adults recorded an average 0.5 drop in their BMI score.
At the end of the programs, adults were 62 percent more likely and children more than twice as likely to have better health.
“We were excited to see the results, which showed that participants who received this stimulus consumed more fruits and vegetables, yielding clinically relevant results,” said senior author Fang Fang Zhang.
Professor Mitchell Elkind, Chief Clinical Science Officer of the American Heart Association, said: ‘Poor nutrition and nutritional insecurity are major causes of chronic disease worldwide, including cardiometabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular consequences, including heart failure, heart attack and stroke. .
“This analysis of product prescription programs illustrates the potential of subsidized product prescriptions to increase consumption of nutritious fruits and vegetables, reduce food insecurity and, hopefully, improve subjective and objective health measures.”
The findings are published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.