Frailty is a condition that can occur when the body is deficient in nutrients and not properly cared for. However, adding fruits and vegetables to your daily diet is a simple but extremely effective way to reduce this risk. Let’s learn more about eating more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of frailty through the article below.
Eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of frailty
Frailty is a clinical condition that represents an increased vulnerability to the effects of stress. This condition is characterized by decreased physical strength, fatigue, decreased mobility, and a decline in quality of life. Many aspects are involved in frailty, including muscle strength, cognitive function, and immune system function.
Frailty was measured using the frailty score, which is calculated based on multidimensional indicators, including gait stability, hand grip strength, cognitive function, and physical activity level.
Asthenia is a state of physical and mental decline.
Diet plays an important role in maintaining physical and mental health. Healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, have been shown to reduce the risk of infectious and non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and neurological and psychiatric diseases. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients needed for normal physiological functions. Research suggests that adequate consumption of these foods may slow the progression of frailty and improve a variety of health outcomes, including quality of life.
In this study, researchers explored whether consumption of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of frailty in adults in the United States.
Study Design The study used epidemiological data from 13,935 adults who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2018. NHANES is a cross-national study that has been conducted regularly since 1960 to assess the health and nutritional status of children and adults in the United States.
The average fruit and vegetable intake of participants over two days was determined using two separate 24-hour nutrition questionnaires. The frailty index model was used to assess participants’ frailty levels. The model includes 49 indicators in 7 main categories: cognition, dependence, depression, comorbidities, hospital and nursing care, anthropometrics, and laboratory results.
Appropriate statistical analyses were performed to determine the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of frailty across different demographic groups, including sex, income level, BMI, and race/ethnicity. Restricted Cubic Splines (RCS) were used to determine the nonlinear relationship between consumption and risk of frailty.
Scientists have explored whether consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of depression in adults in the United States.
Key Observations
The study included 13,935 participants, of whom 2,224 were classified as frail and 11,711 were classified as non-frail. The two groups showed significant differences in demographic characteristics, including gender, race, marital status, education, and BMI.
The analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders (age, gender, education, physical activity, financial status, smoking and drinking status, and BMI), showed that consumption of fruits and vegetables in any form was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of frailty.
The study found that the protective effects of fruit and vegetable consumption varied across demographic groups. For example, women and those with low BMIs saw stronger associations between high fruit/vegetable consumption and reduced risk of frailty than other groups.
For whole or chopped fruit, with the exception of oranges, melons, and berries, both the medium and high consumption groups had significantly lower risk of frailty than the low consumption group.
Subgroup analyses, considering all types of fruit and vegetables (total fruit, whole fruit, juice, other fruit, red-orange vegetable, and total vegetable intake), showed significant associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of frailty across different groups of sex, income, alcohol consumption, education, and race.
Further analysis using RCS demonstrated that the association between intake and frailty was nonlinear, with the risk of frailty decreasing up to a certain threshold of intake, after which the risk began to increase.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of depression
Significance of the Study
The study found that adequate fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of frailty. Notably, the study highlighted that consumption of starchy vegetables was associated with an increased risk of frailty.
In addition, BMI was found to be a moderator of the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and frailty, with those with a low BMI seeing a greater benefit from higher consumption than those with a normal or high BMI. However, the current study still found that increased fruit and vegetable consumption significantly reduced the risk of frailty in all participants, regardless of BMI. This association was more pronounced in those with a low BMI.
Among different types of fruit, the study found that whole fruit consumption was more effective in reducing the risk of frailty than fruit juice. Similarly, increased consumption of red and orange vegetables, including carrots, red peppers, and sweet peppers, was also associated with a significant reduction in the risk of frailty.
Overall, the study provides a scientific basis for developing effective nutritional strategies for the prevention and management of frailty. These strategies should take into account individual demographic characteristics, such as gender and BMI, to optimize the protective effects of fruit and vegetable consumption. At the same time, the study also highlights the importance of prioritizing whole fruits over fruit juices, and red-orange vegetables over starchy vegetables.
Research suggests that eating lots of starchy fruits also increases the risk of depression.
Through this article, we have a better understanding of the important role of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of frailty. However, in addition to maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet, you also need to combine training in a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity, keeping a comfortable spirit, and getting enough sleep to improve overall health.
