Bronchitis
A diet high in antioxidants may protect against the
free-radical-damaging effect of environmental toxins or cigarette smoke. Studies comparing
different populations have shown that increasing fruit
and vegetable consumption may reduce the risk of
developing chronic bronchitis.
Cataracts
People with low blood levels of antioxidants and those who eat few antioxidant-rich fruits
and vegetables have been reported to be at high risk for cataracts.
Crohn’s disease
A high-animal-protein and high-fat diet (from foods other than fish) has been linked to Crohn’s disease in preliminary
research. As with many other health conditions, it may be beneficial to eat less meat and
dairy fat and more fruits and vegetables.
Diabetes
A high-fiber diet has been shown to work better
in controlling diabetes than the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA),
and may control blood sugar levels as well as. The high-fiber diet also reduced the need for
oral diabetes drugs. In this study, the increase in dietary fiber was accomplished exclusively
through the consumption of foods naturally high in fiber—such as leafy green
vegetables—to a level beyond that recommended by the ADA.
Diverticular
disease
Dietary factors influence the frequency and severity of diverticular disease recurrences. A
diet high in fiber has been shown to be protective against diverticular disease. One study of
food intake revealed a 50 percent increase in incidence of diverticular disease in persons
eating a diet high in meat and low in vegetables relative to those eating a high-vegetable and
low-meat diet. In addition to helping prevent the disease, a high-fiber diet may also be
useful as a treatment for diverticular disease.
Heart attack
A large study of male healthcare professionals found that those men eating mostly a
“prudent” diet (high in fruits, vegetables,
legumes, whole grains, fish, and poultry) had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attacks
compared to men who ate the fewest foods in the “prudent” category. In contrast,
men who ate the highest percentage of their foods from the “typical American diet”
category (high in red meat, processed meat, refined grains, sweets, and desserts) had a 64
percent increased risk of heart attack, compared to men who ate the fewest foods in that
category. A parallel study of female healthcare professionals showed a 15 percent reduction in
cardiovascular risk for those on a prudent diet compared to the effect of those eating a low
fruit and vegetable diet.
Making positive dietary changes immediately following a heart attack is likely to decrease
the chance of a second heart attack. In one study, individuals began eating more vegetables
and fruits, and substituted fish, nuts, and
legumes for meat and eggs 24 to 48 hours after a heart
attack. Six weeks later, the diet group had significantly fewer fatal and nonfatal heart
attacks than a similar group who did not make these dietary changes. This trend continued for
an additional six weeks.
Hypertension
Vegetarians have lower blood pressure than do
people who eat meat. This occurs partly because fruits and vegetables contain potassium—a known blood pressure-lowering mineral. In the
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, increasing intake of fruits and
vegetables (and therefore fiber) and reducing cholesterol and dairy fat led to large
reductions in blood pressure in just eight weeks. Even though it did not employ a vegetarian
diet itself, the outcome of the DASH trial supports the usefulness of vegetarian diets because
diets employed by DASH researchers were related to what many vegetarians eat.
Pap smear
High blood levels of folate (the food form of folic
acid) have been linked to protection against the development of abnormal Pap smears, but
these folate levels may only be a marker for eating more fruit and vegetables.
