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Fruit and vegetables in the diet have many positive effects upon health. Fruit and vegetables contain many nutritional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre which may, individually, or in combinations, be protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and certain cancers. Their high dietary fibre content helps control blood glucose levels, reduces blood cholesterol and reduces the risk of colon and other cancers. Fruit and vegetables intake also decreases risk for type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and occurrence of fractures, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and birth defects and may also play a role in responding to infections.
This study estimates the burden of disease attributed to low fruit and vegetable intake by sex and age group in South Africa for the year 2000 using the comparative risk assessment methodology developed by the WHO. View the results. (pdf format, 286 kb) |
