Fruit and vegetables is the key to preventing chronic diseases

The world-first research conducted by the University of Adelaide examined the link between diet and 11 chronic diseases, including anemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, coronary heart disease, asthma, stroke, fracture and cancer. It found that people who eat a higher amount of fruit are less likely to develop any chronic disease, while a high intake of vegetables helps prevent people with one chronic disease from developing a second.The study, done in conjunction with universities and health organisations in China and Canada, is published in the Clinical Nutrition journal.Healthier people eat more grains other than wheat and rice such as oats, corn, sorghum, rye, barley, millet and quinoa.While links between good diet and disease prevention are well established, this is the first study that had linked poor nutrition to the development of multiple chronic diseases, otherwise known as 'multimorbidity'.The researchers studied more than 1000 Chinese people over a five-year period.Study co-author Dr Zumin Shi said the participants who did not develop any chronic disease ate on average 57 grams of fruit per day – a relatively small amount by Australian standards. 'Chinese consumption of fruit is quite low, but even when low you can see the benefits,' Dr Shi told MailOnline.Dr Shi added that rice intake was significantly lower in the healthy group. 'This could be because rice is mainly refined and deprived of the benefits associated with fibres, and the kinds of phytochemicals that you find in whole grains,' he said.The research also found that healthier participants ate more grains other than wheat and rice – such as oats, corn, sorghum, rye, barley, millet and quinoa.Dr Shi said these grains were less likely to be refined and are therefore likely to contain more dietary fibre.'If you look at the intake of whole grains, the highest intake of whole grains is among those who stay healthy over five years,' Dr Shi said.The study highlighted the role of micronutrients in protecting against disease. 'A higher daily intake of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B1 was associated with healthier participants,' Dr Shi said.(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.az