Peking University, April 11, 2017: The paper “the Kadoorie Study of Chronic Disease in China (KSCDC)” co-written by authors from Oxford University, Peking University, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, who conducted a cohort study involved 0.5 million adults, was newly released on PLOS Medicine (one of the most prestigious medical journals around the world). The study found that participants who consumed fresh fruit more frequently (as compared with those who consumed it less frequently) were more likely to have a lower risk of developing diabetes and related cardiovascular diseases.
Although it is universally acknowledged that fresh fruits and vegetables benefit health, PKU Public Health School professor, Li Liming found that there is few empirical support for fruit’s effect on the occurrence and prognosis of diabetes. Despite the beneficial substance it has, people especially in China and many other Asian countries where diabetes become increasingly prevalent, are concerned about the associations of fruit intake with the risks of diabetes..
Researchers recruited 0.5 million adults aging from 35 to 74 years old across ten diverse areas of China and tracked their health condition for seven years by means of detailed questionnaire interviews, underwent physical measurements and blood tests. Among the over 30,000 observation subjects with diabetes, there were more other 10,000 cases of cardiovascular disease and 3400 death incidents. Further analysis has shown an association between fresh fruit consumption and cardiovascular risk
The baseline survey indicated that overall, 20% of the participants reported consumption of fresh fruit on a daily basis (the most commonly consumed fruits are apples, citrus fruit) and 6% reported no or rare consumption. Diabetic participants with fruit consumption had 3-fold larger proportion than those without diabetes. Diabetic individuals with fruit intake at the initialbaselineassessmenthad lower risk of developing ischaemic heart disease, stroke and even death etc.
Based on the findings, the first author of the study, Oxford University Doctor Du Huaidong, pinpointed that it was a nationwide prospective study that confirmed the protective association of fruit intake with the onset of diabetes when adjusting and controlling the potential effect caused by other factors. Principal author of the study, Oxford UniversityProfessor, Chen Zhengming advocated that the research findings should serve as a scientific basis for dietary guideline to increase fruit consumption and play a positive role in the prevention and management of diabetes. Professor Li Liming considered that the reason why research in China could produce a concise result is mainly because most Chinese merely take in fresh fruits, whereas in Western countries, people prefer fruit juic eto fresh fruit.
