Fruit may reduce the risk of lethal aneurysm

New research from Karolinska Institutet, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, reports that more than two daily servings of fruit may lower the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

A high consumption of fruits may help to prevent many diseases, including abdominal aortic aneurysm, now shown by this Swedish study. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning of the lower part of the aorta, the main blood vessel that supplies the body. It is relatively rare, but can be lethal. Older men, especially smokers, are at higher risk.

"High levels of antioxidants in fruit may protect against abdominal aortic aneurysm by preventing oxidative stress that promotes inflammation. However, there was no association between vegetables and aneurysm, perhaps because vegetables lack some types of antioxidants present in fruits", says Otto Stackelberg, MD and Doctoral student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine's Unit of Nutritional Epidemiology, at Karolinska Institutet, and first author of the article.

Stackelberg stresses that vegetables remain important for health. Other studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several cancers. The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council and Karolinska Institutet. Study leader was Professor Alicja Wolk.