Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is a modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure. Increased availability of fruits and vegetables results in lower levels of raised blood pressure nationally. Many low-income countries lack access to enough fruits and vegetables, making them vulnerable to high blood pressure. Dr. James Bentham’s latest research echoes the need for national and international policies to expand fruit and vegetable productivity to ensure sustainable supply, particularly in low-income countries. The urgent need for such policies is essential to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases at national and global levels. Additionally, food policies must ensure national food security and support access to healthy diets while enhancing environmental sustainability.
Study Shows Increased Availability of Fruits and Vegetables Results in Lower Blood Pressure
Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is a known modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure. However, it is unclear how the availability of fruits and vegetables in a nation impacts blood pressure. To address this issue, Dr. James Bentham, a senior lecturer in statistics at the University of Kent, and Dr. Linda Oude Griep from the University of Cambridge investigated supply trends from 1975 to 2015. The goal was to determine whether the supply complied with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 400g per day.
The study examined associations between systolic, diastolic, and raised blood pressure by analyzing data on fruit and vegetable supply and blood pressure across 159 countries. Results indicated that increased availability of fruits and vegetables resulted in lower levels of raised blood pressure nationally. The researchers also found that many countries, particularly low-income ones, do not have access to enough fruits and vegetables.
The researchers’ findings suggest that lower-income countries with reduced availability of fruits and vegetables are at risk of higher levels of raised blood pressure. “Our results underpin the urgent need for national and international policies to expand fruit and vegetable productivity to ensure sustainable supply, especially in low-income countries,” Dr. Bentham said.
The study also highlights that limited fruit and vegetable supply due to a lack of logistics is a permanent issue in many parts of the world. This issue is particularly pertinent now in the UK, where the country is experiencing fruit and vegetable rationing. Public health programs targeting fruit and vegetable consumption at the recommended level, combined with expanding fruit and vegetable productivity, are essential to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases both nationally and globally.
Study Shows Food Supply Limitations Affect National Food Security, Access to Healthy Diets and Environmental Sustainability
Dr. Bentham’s latest research into food supply limitations echoes results from an earlier study aimed at informing food policies that would ensure national food security, support access to healthy diets, and enhance environmental sustainability. This study highlights the need for policies that address limited food supply to ensure national food security and promote access to healthy diets. The study also emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability in food policies. This article was generated by a syndicated news feed, and its content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff.
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