Fruit and vegetable intake and serum cholesterol levels: a cross-sectional study in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort

The aim of this study was to investigate, in a cross-sectional study, whether the intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with lower serum cholesterol levels. The groupings of interest for this study were apples, other fruits, and vegetables. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 42,972 men and women included in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort (1993 - 1997). This population excluded persons with self-reported cardiovascular risk factors, in order to ensure a "heart-healthy" population. Among men, both apple and vegetable intake was found to be associated with significantly lower serum cholesterol levels. An increase in apple intake of 50 g d(-1) was associated with a 0.04 mmol l(-1) lower serum cholesterol level. Furthermore, analyses combining, vegetable and alcohol intake showed lower serum cholesterol levels in men with a low alcohol intake (<= 10 g d(-1)). For women, the same pattern was seen for apples and vegetables, albeit to a lesser extent for apples. Analyses combining vegetable intake and waist circumference measurements showed that women with a smaller waist circumference had lower levels of serum cholesterol. Our findings thus provide some support for previous inverse associations found between higher apple intake and lower serum cholesterol levels.