It seems to be taken for granted that high fruit and vegetable consumption is good for you, what is the underlying observational evidence?
I am aware that vitamins exist, but it is hard to actually find vitamin deficiencies in developed countries.
It's not that I am skeptical of everything. There are many things I have been convinced of with a cursory look at the scientific literature; For example:
1. Vegetable consumption correlates positively with higher socioeconomic factors.
2. Higher socioeconomic factors correlate with better health outcomes.
3. Better health outcomes correlate with socioeconomic status regardless of access to health care (Whitehall)
4. Stress causes poor health
5. Lower socioeconomic cohorts likely have higher stress levels.
6. Debt is strongly correlated with heart attacks.
All of this suggests that Fruit and Vegetable consumption would correlate with good health regardless.
Every time I have brushed up against this question tangentially by accident, I have found evidence against Vegetable's status. When I wanted to know about fibre and mortality I found a large study that showed that whole grain fibre but not vegetable fibre consumption was correlated with lower mortality rates. It does seem reasonable to assume vegetable fibre consumption would be highly correlated with vegetable consumption. Another study on mice that looked at supplemental potassium found effects on blood pressure and mortality, and concluded that any benefit of vegetable consumption could simply be due to potassium that could easily be found elsewhere.
Now that I have turned my inquiry to this question more directly I am relatively unimpressed with what I can find.
Vegetables are a rich source of f olate, a B vitamin that helps your body make new red blood cells. Folate is especially important for children's health and may also reduce the risk of cancer and depression.
Consumption of high vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.
Eating a good amount of vegetables each day is important. They are not only nutritious, but may also offer protection against various diseases, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even certain types of cancers. Most people suggest that the more vegetables you eat, the better.
- Abdulraheem Mukhtar
This is confirmed by numerous research results concerning the analysis of the correlation between the diet used and general health, the level of resistance to various infectious diseases, life span, etc.
Best regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/
People in devoleped countries consumpt 300 gr vegetable evey day. Despite, developing countries people consumpt more foods containd strach.
@Anil Khar Really?
People who get punched in the face for a living are going to educate us about health?
Netflix documentaries don't have a good record at all. Why not refer to an actual study?
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/
Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins, minerals needed for our life. A diet high in fruit and vegetables can help protect you against cancer, diabetes and heart disease ,and others.
Once again, no evidence provided.
Are people in developed countries lacking in vitamins?
There is not a linear relationship between the amount of vitamins and positive effects.
So for example Vitamin A levels have no correlation with any positive outcomes in developed countries because nobody is below the threshold where it would matter. Vitamin A is more likely to cause birth defects, than be beneficial.
Just saying, Cod's liver oil has vitamin A, and vitamin A is essential to the immune response, doesn't mean that having supplemental cod's liver oil has any effect. It doesn't. An RCT would bear this out. There still needs to be evidence. So far nobody has even provided a relevant reference.
Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Article Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Thanks Chuck for being the first person to reply with an actual proper article, albeit I am just looking through the references because I can't get the full text.
The references are interesting in how sporadic they are documenting the benefits of, for example, cocoa potatoes and red wine. If chocolate, chips and merlot are giving me health benefits, it seems near impossible to avoid the health benefits of fruit and vegetables.
I wonder weather it even needs to be stated.
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