Background: Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with lower rates of coronary heart disease. Results from observational studies suggest a similar association with stroke.
Objective: To assess the evidence from prospective observational studies on fruit and vegetable intake and risk of stroke.
Methods: A meta-analysis of prospective studies was conducted to examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake and stroke. Studies were selected if they reported relative risk (RR) and 95% CI for any type of stroke and used a validated questionnaire for food intake assessment. Pooled RR were calculated and linearity of the associations was examined.
Results: Seven studies were eligible for the meta-analysis, including 90,513 men, 141,536 women, and 2,955 strokes. The risk of stroke was decreased by 11% (RR 95% CI: 0.89 [0.85 to 0.93]) for each additional portion per day of fruit, by 5% (RR: 0.95 [0.92 to 0.97]) for fruit and vegetables, and by 3% (RR: 0.97 [0.92 to 1.02]; NS) for vegetables. The association between fruit or fruit and vegetables and stroke was linear, suggesting a dose-response relationship.
Conclusions: This meta-analysis of cohort studies suggests that fruit and fruit and vegetable consumption decreases the risk of stroke.