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Issue # 66.5 - Importance of Fruit and VegAre fruit and vegetable intakes predictors of bone size in early pubertal children? Studies have shown that 92% of urinary calcium excretion reflects bone metabolism rather than dietary calcium intake. A study was carried out to determine whether consuming fruit and vegetables over 3 times a day was beneficial to bone mass in children. Results showed that children consuming greater than three servings of fruit and vegetables a day had more bone area of the whole body, radius and lower urinary calcium excretion than the children who reported consuming less than three servings of fruit and vegetables per day. This shows that high fruit and vegetable intakes have beneficial effects on the bone area and radius of the whole body in early pubertal girls. The lower urinary calcium output was associated with higher fruit and vegetable intakes. Am J Clin Nutr 2004:79;311-7 Isoflavones and woman's health There is evidence that diets which contain high levels of phytoestrogenic isoflavonoids are associated with a low incidence of osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms. Plant extracts such as red clover, which contain high levels of isoflavonoids, have been used to reduce menopausal symptoms and have been shown to reduce bone loss in healthy women. Research shows that these phytoestrogens do not cause any oestrogenic increase in breast density, which indicates that they are unlikely to cause an increased risk of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2004;6(3):140-2 Can fruit and vegetable consumption lower LDL cholesterol? An elevated LDL-cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. In a current study they used data from 4466 adult participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study to evaluate whether higher intakes of fruit and vegetables is inversely related to LDL concentrations in men and women, independent of other risk factors. Results showed that fruit and vegetable consumption was inversely related to LDL in men and women, independent of age, smoking status, exercise, educational attainment. The average daily serving of fruit and vegetables was 3.2 for men and 3.5 for women. Subjects in the highest fruit and vegetable intake groups had LDL concentrations that were 6-7% lower than those in the lowest fruit and vegetable intake groups. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79:213-7 |