Impact of fruits and vegetables consumption on cardio-metabolic health - a case control study

Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is recommended to consume more than four hundred grams of (fruits + vegetables) per day to enhance healthful lifestyle and to lower the incidence of cardio-metabolic illnesses. Their low glycemic index helps prevent spikes in blood sugar, consequently controlling hunger. Our aim was to study the reflection of the intake of fruits and that of vegetables on cardio-metabolic risks in obese children. Results A case-control research enrolled 90 Egyptian children (44 obese, 46 normal weight control children) aged from 5–11 years. Thirty-three out of forty-six controls (71.7%) consumed vegetables on a daily basis compared to only twenty-seven (61.4%) among cases. As regards fruits, the daily consumption was frequented more among the obese group 25 (58.1%) and less frequented among the control group. Daily intake of vegetables was not associated with lower risks of increased levels of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, Low Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), LDL/HDL ratio, Triglycerides/HDL ratio and Triglycerides/glucose ratio. P values were as follow 0.363, 0.774, 0.947,0.211, 0.714, 0.093 and 0.736. Not only vegetables but also daily intake of fruits was not associated with lower risks of high fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, LDL/HDL ratio, Triglycerides/HDL ratio and Triglycerides/glucose ratio. P value was as follows: 0.292, 0.663, 0.663, 0.32, 0.34, 0.062 and 0.219 respectively. Conclusion The role of fruits and vegetables is still debatable, our findings showed no significant associations between the frequency of their consumption and obesity, hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia.