• Researchers evaluated participants of the CARDIA study to determine the association between intake of fruit and vegetables during young adulthood with coronary atherosclerosis later in life, finding that higher intake was associated with lower prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis (P < .001).
• The findings support high intake of fruit and vegetables in early life.

Written by David Rakel MD, FAAFP

Longitudinal prospective cohort studies can be quite informative if you have the patience to wait 20 years for the results. Data from the CARDIA study show again that fruit and vegetables are good for you. Those young adults who ate seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables were 25% less likely to have coronary artery calcifications than those who only ate two to four servings.

This longitudinal study reminds me of another study that evaluated participants after 35 years. In the 1950s, the Harvard Mastery of Stress study asked male Harvard undergraduate students how much love they felt from their parents. Those students who rated their parents lowest were 87% more likely to have a chronic disease. Only 25% of those who rated their parents high in caring were diagnosed with a chronic disease in mid-life.1

According to these powerful prospective longitudinal studies, having a parent who loves you and encourages you to eat your vegetables is likely one of the strongest determinants of health!

Reference

Russek L, Schwartz G. Perceptions of parental caring predict health status in midlife: a 35-year follow-up of the Harvard Mastery of Stress Study. Psychosom Med. 1997;59(2):144-149.

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