Mengkonsumsi lebih banyak buah mungkin menurunkan resiko orang terserang kondisi pembuluh darah berbahaya yang dikenal sebagai abdominal aortic aneurysm, demikian satu studi di Swedia.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm adalah pembengkakan bagian bawah aorta, pembuluh darah utama yang memasok tubuh. Kondisi itu langka, tapi bisa mematikan. Orang yang berusia lanjut, terutama mereka yang merokok, menghadapi resiko lebih tinggi.
Pemeriksaan ultrasound, yang menggunakan gelombang suara untuk mengambil gambar susunan di dalam tubuh, dapat dengan mudah mendeteksi kondisi tersebut. Di dalam studi mereka, para peneliti dari Karolinska Institutet –yang berpusat di Stockholm– membagi lebih dari 80.000 orang yang berusia 46 sampai 84 tahun ke dalam empat kelompok dengan jumlah yang sama berdasarkan berapa banyak buah dan sayuran yang mereka laporkan mereka konsumsi.
Dalam waktu 13 tahun, catatan rumah sakit dan kematian memperlihatkan 1.086 orang terserang abdominal aortic anerysm, termasuk 222 yang penyakit gondok nadi (aneurisma) mereka kambuh. Lebih dari 80 persen aneurisma dan kambuhan terjadi pada pria.
Para peneliti mendapati orang yang melaporkan mengkonsumsi lebih dari dua porsi buah setiap hari memiliki resiko 25 persen lebih rendah untuk terserang abdominal aortic aneurysm dan 43 persen lebih rendah untuk mengalami kambuhan penyakit gondok nadi dibandingkan dengan orang yang memakan paling sedikit buah.
Dibandingkan dengan mereka yang tidak makan buah, orang yang mengkonsumsi dua porsi buah per hari memiliki resiko 31 persen lebih kecil untuk terserang aneurima dan 39 persen lebih rendah untuk mengalami aneurisma kambuhan, kata mereka. Para peneliti tersebut mendukung tingginya kandungan anti-oksidan pada buah mungkin melindungi orang dari abdominal aortic aneurysm dengan mencegah tekanan oksidatif, yang bisa mendorong peradangan.
“Mengkonsumsi banyak buah mungkin membantu mencegah banyak penyakit pembuluh darah, dan studi kami menunjukkan resiko lebih rendah terhadap abdominal aortic aneurysm akan termasuk di antara manfaat itu,” kata Otto Stackelberg dari Karolinska Instituet, penulis utama studi tersebut, yang disiarkan di jurnal American Heart Association, Circulation.
Namun para peneliti itu tak menemukan hubungan dengan sayuran, yang juga kaya akan anti-oksidan. Sayuran kurang beberapa jenis anti-oksidan yang terkandung di dalam buah dan mungkin membantu menjelaskan temuan buah berbanding sayuran, kata Stackelberg.
“Sayuran tetap penting buat kesehatan. Studi lain telah mendapati mengkonsumsi lebih banyak buah dan sayuran mungkin menurunkan resiko penyakit jantung dan pembuluh darah, diabetes type 2, tekanan darah tinggi, dan beberapa kanker,” kata Stackelberg.
Di dalam studi tersebut, kebanyakan orang memakan apel dan buah pir, lalu diikuti oleh mengkonsumsi pisang, jeruk dan sitrus. American Heart Association menyarankan rata-rata orang dewasa makan empat sampai lima porsi buah dan sayuran.
Orang yang tidak merokok juga perlu makan buah untuk mencegah abdominal aortic aneurysm. “Jangan pernah mulai merokok; dan jika anda sudah merokok, berhenti hari ini. Tak pernah ada kata terlambat,” kata Stackelberg.
Sumber: liniberita.com
Eating our daily quota of fruits and vegetables should be a no-brainer by now, as we have long heard of the health benefits accompanying a balanced diet. And now researchers in Sweden have discovered that eating more fruit could lower risks for an often-lethal form of aortic aneurysm.
The researchers, led by Dr. Otto Stackelberg of the Karolinska Institute, published their findings in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
After dividing over 80,000 people between the ages of 46 and 84 years into four groups based on the amount of fruit and vegetable they ate each day, the researchers then embarked on a 13-year follow-up study. During that time, they found that 1,086 people had abdominal aortic aneurysms, 222 of which ruptured.
This type of aortic aneurysm involves a swelling of the lower part of the aorta, the body’s main artery. Though rare, the researchers note, it is lethal in many cases. Men in the study accounted for over 80% of aneurysms, ruptured aneurysms included.
Compared with the group who ate the least amount of fruit (less than one daily serving), those who ate the most fruit (over two servings) had a 25% lower risk of developing an aneurysm and a 43% lower risk of one that ruptured.
Fruit juice did not count towards servings in the study.
Additionally, compared with the group who did not eat any fruit at all, the high fruit-eaters had a 31% lower risk of an aneurysm and a 39% lower risk of a ruptured one.
The types of fruits the subjects ate were mainly apples and pears, followed by bananas, oranges and other fruits of the citrus variety.
Prevention of a silent killer
The researchers say that abdominal aortic aneurysm is often asymptomatic and occurs in up to 4.5% of men over 65 years of age. In women of the same age group, up to 1.3% are affected.
Though ultrasounds have been used for screening the condition, they say these abdominal aneurysms are highly likely to be lethal, citing a mortality risk of 70% before surgery and 35% after.
Dr. Otto Stackelberg is happy with the results of the study, adding:
“A high consumption of fruits may help to prevent many vascular diseases, and our study suggests that a lower risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm will be among the benefits.”
The authors suggest that the high levels of antioxidants in fruit may be providing the protective effect, through inhibition of oxidative stress, which can encourage inflammation.
Vegetables – also high in antioxidants – did not seem to affect the risk level for abdominal aortic aneurysm, possibly because some vegetables lack fruit antioxidants, say the researchers.
Dr. Stackelberg adds: “Vegetables remain important for health. Other studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several cancers.”
Authoritative diet advice
The American Heart Association gives advice on fruit and vegetables – adults should eat around four or five servings a day. The organization says following this guideline is an easy way to ensure the intake of important nutrients that most people do not get enough of, such as folate, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C and K.
And of course, not smoking is a major way to reduce health risks, especially those involved with cardiovascular health. Dr. Otto Stackelberg says:
“Being a non-smoker is also crucial in preventing abdominal aortic aneurysm. Never start smoking; and if you already do smoke, quit today. It’s never too late.”
Courtesy: medicalnewstoday.com
