Eat right, live longer?

Research into the effect of single nutrients such as vitamin E on disease rates and mortality has yielded disappointing results. However, we know that the biologic effects of nutrients are interdependent and thus the health effects may depend more on a balanced and healthy diet rather than on the effect of a single component. Ashima Kant and colleagues, taking advantage of a large prospective cohort study of women presenting for breast-cancer screening, were able to follow 42 000 women (mean age 61) over a median follow-up period of almost 6 years (JAMA 2000;283:2109-15). Women who reported that they regularly ate more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, low-fat dairy products and lean meats and poultry had lower overall mortality. Compared with women in the lowest quartile for eating healthy foods, women in the upper quartile had a relative risk for all-cause mortality of 0.69 (95% confidence interval 0.61-0.78). The authors concluded that it may be beneficial to follow recommended nutritional guidelines.