Nearly 40,000 strokes a year could be prevented by a change in diet to include more than five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, according to research published today. There are 150,000 cases of stroke a year in Britain - one every three minutes. Of those, 67,000 people die and a similar number become severely disabled, losing some power of movement or speech. But a review published today in the Lancet medical journal reveals that much of that could be prevented if Britons ate more fruit and vegetables.
If those who ate fewer than three portions increased their consumption to more than five portions, their stroke risk would drop by 26%. Even eating between three and five portions - a banana at breakfast, an apple at lunch and broccoli with supper - would cut their risk by 11%.
It is well known that eating fruit and vegetables can help prevent certain diseases, including cancers. But the scale of the impact on stroke has not previously been assessed. The Lancet article is a meta-review, which pulls together the results of all available studies, allowing more reliable conclusions to be reached.
The eight studies grouped together combined 257,551 individuals from the US, Europe and Japan. Over a 14-year follow-up period, the individuals between them suffered 4,917 strokes. There was a clear difference in the likelihood of stroke between those who had little fruit and vegetables in their diet and those who ate more, even when other lifestyle factors were allowed for. Portions of fruit and vegetables were standardised throughout. An average serving was 77g for vegetables and 80g for fruit.
"The average fruit and vegetable intake in most developed countries is about three servings per day, and current recommendations encourage five or more servings per day," said Feng He, of the cardiac and vascular sciences department at St George's, University of London, lead author of the review. "Our results provide strong support for these recommendations. If these goals were achieved, stroke morbidity [illness] and mortality would be greatly reduced."
A second article in today's Lancet reviews what is known about the causes and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME. Different factors predispose people to develop the condition, says Judith Prins of the Radboud University Nijmegen medical centre in the Netherlands, including neuroticism, introversion and inactivity in childhood, but genes may also play a part. Physical or psychological distress, such as bereavement, can also trigger it.
