Current Developments in Nutrition: People with cardiovascular disease eat whole fruits less often

People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, or a history of heart attack were less likely to report eating whole fruits than people without these conditions. This was the conclusion reached by US researchers after analyzing health survey data from more than 371,000 participants.

The study was published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition. The researchers used data from the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2019. The initial sample included more than 418,000 adults, and after excluding participants with missing data needed for the analysis, 371,038 people remained.

The researchers compared how often participants consumed whole fruits and 100% fruit juice and examined these figures in relation to risk factors and cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

On average, participants reported eating whole fruits 1.06 times per day and drinking fruit juice 0.3 times per day. At the same time, people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, or a history of heart attack consumed whole fruits less frequently than participants without the respective diseases or risk factors.

The survey recorded the frequency of consumption rather than the amount of fruit eaten or juice consumed.

The researchers did not account for several important factors, including physical activity, body mass index, and consumption of vegetables and whole grains. The authors say further research is needed to better understand the relationship between cardiovascular health and the consumption of whole fruits and fruit juice.