Giving Brits £50 a month to spend on fruit and veg could ‘slash risk of killer heart disease’
PRESCRIBING fruit and veg could cut people’s risk of killer heart disease, a study shows.
Patients given around £50 a month to buy more greens at supermarkets were 62 per cent more likely to notice improvements in their health after up to 10 months.
On average their intake increased by around a portion a day and they saw their BMI decrease by 0.5, as well as falls in blood pressure and sugars.
Dr Kurt Hager, of the University of Massachusetts, said: “These results indicate produce prescriptions may lay an important foundation for improved health and well-being.”
Around 7.6million people are currently living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Previous research has shown eating fruit and vegetables can reduce your risk of the killer conditions because they are rich in vitamins C and A.
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These antioxidants help reduce the buildup of plaque from cholesterol in the arteries, which can lead to blockages if left unchecked normally.
The latest study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, looked at how prescribing the foods helps improve patients’ outcomes.
Some 1,817 children and 2,064 US adults were enrolled in one of nine prescription programs operated by the charity Wholesome Wave from 2014 to 2020.
They were all at risk for developing heart disease or Type 2 diabetes and from low income neighbourhoods.
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Researchers gave them questionnaires about fruit and vegetable consumption, food insecurity and health status at the start and end of the study.
Tests of blood pressure, weight, height, and blood sugars were also taken at the beginning and end.
Adults ate at least one portion extra of fruit and veg a day, while children’s increased by a quarter of a cup.
Systolic blood pressure — blood pressure during heartbeats — decreased more than 8mm Hg in adults who had high blood pressure at the start of the study.
Diastolic blood pressure — blood pressure between heartbeats — decreased nearly 5mmHg during the same period.
Blood sugar, as measured by HbA1C levels, decreased by 0.29 to 0.58 percentage points among adults with diabetes.
Dr Mitchell Elkind, of Columbia University, said: “This analysis illustrates the potential of subsidised produce prescriptions to improve subjective and objective health measures.
“Poor nutrition and nutrition insecurity are major drivers of conditions like diabetes and their cardiovascular consequences, including heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
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“Future research will need to include randomised controlled trials to offset any potential bias and prove more rigorously the benefits of produce prescription programs.
“The American Heart Association’s new Food Is Medicine Initiative will be focused on supporting such trials.”