People who eat more fruits and veggies each day—up to about 8 servings—are less likely to get heart disease, with the biggest drop in risk happening when they go from eating very little to eating a moderate amount.

Scientific Claim

Higher intake of fruits and vegetables combined is associated with a 8% lower risk of coronary heart disease per 200 g/day increase, with the greatest benefit observed up to 800 g/day, suggesting dietary patterns rich in plant foods may contribute to reduced cardiovascular risk.

Original Statement

“For fruits and vegetables combined, the summary RR per 200 g/day was 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90-0.94, I2 = 0%, n = 15] for coronary heart disease... Reductions in risk were observed up to 800 g/day for all outcomes except cancer (600 g/day).”

From study:Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The study design is observational, so causal language is inappropriate. The use of 'associated with' correctly reflects the nature of the evidence from cohort studies.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

This big study found that eating more fruits and veggies—up to about 800 grams a day—lowers your risk of heart disease by 8% for every extra 200 grams you eat, which is exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies

Score: 43

DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw319

Similar Assertions

People who eat more fruits and vegetables—up to about 10 servings a day—are much less likely to develop heart disease, with the biggest drop in risk coming from adding even a few servings to their diet.

97%

People who eat more fruits and veggies have a slightly lower chance of dying from heart disease, and both fruits and veggies contribute to this benefit.

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People who eat more spinach, kale, and other dark leafy greens have a much lower risk of heart disease than those who eat little or none, even after accounting for other healthy habits.

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People who eat two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day have a lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who eat less, but eating more doesn’t help much beyond that.

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People who eat more fruits and vegetables each day—up to about 10 servings—are less likely to die from any cause, with the biggest drop in death risk coming from adding even a few servings to their daily meals.

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