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Back to Study: Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by...
causal
Analysis v1
61
Pro
0
Against

When people who don't eat much fruit or veggies start eating about 8 servings a day for 3 months, the level of vitamin C in their blood goes up by 35%, meaning their body gets more of this important nutrient.

Scientific Claim

Increasing daily fruit and vegetable intake from approximately 3 to 8.4 portions for 12 weeks causes a 35% increase in plasma vitamin C concentration in healthy adults aged 39–58 with low baseline intake, indicating enhanced nutrient status from dietary intervention.

Original Statement

“Plasma vitamin C (35%), folate (15%) and certain carotenoids [α-carotene (50%) and β-carotene (70%) and lutein/zeaxanthin (70%)] were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the intervention group.”

From study:Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change: a randomised trial

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The study is a randomized controlled trial with confirmed randomization and control group, allowing causal inference. The verb 'causes' is appropriate given the design and statistically significant change.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

61
61

Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change: a randomised trial

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human

People who ate more fruits and veggies for 12 weeks saw their vitamin C levels jump by 35%, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0
No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change: a randomised trial

Score: 61
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-017-1469-0

Similar Assertions

Eating more fruits and veggies for 3 months raises the level of folate (a B vitamin) in the blood by 15% in people who used to eat very little of them, helping their body make healthy cells.

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Eating more fruits and veggies for 3 months doesn’t lower blood pressure, cholesterol, or sugar levels—or make arteries less stiff—in healthy people who were already eating poorly.

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Eating more fruits and vegetables for 3 months makes the level of alpha-carotene—a plant nutrient—in the blood go up by 50% in people who didn’t eat much before.

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Even though eating more fruits and veggies boosts certain nutrients, it doesn’t make the body’s overall ability to fight off cell damage from oxidation any stronger in healthy people.

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People with more vitamin C in their blood — which comes from eating fruits and vegetables — are less likely to get type 2 diabetes, even after accounting for other healthy habits.

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