Conrad Z, et al. - The relationship between vegetable variety, vegetable amount, and prevalent cardiometabolic disease subtypes was assessed. Further, the potential determinants of vegetable variety were determined. Findings revealed an inverse relation between vegetable variety and amount with prevalent coronary heart disease. Vegetable variety showed a strong correlation with the vegetable amount, likely mediated by reduced habituation and increased liking. Thereby suggesting that for the public, increasing vegetable variety and amount are still important messages.

Methods

• From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2014), researchers obtained data on food intake and reported cardiometabolic disease status for 38,981 adults.
• They used a modified dietary diversity index that was adjusted for the potential confounding effects of vegetable amount to measure vegetable variety.
• Univariate linear regression models were used to determine temporal trends in vegetable variety and amount.
• The relationship between vegetable variety and prevalent disease, and between vegetable amount and prevalent disease was assessed using multivariate logistic regression models.
• The relationship between vegetable variety and explanatory variables was assessed using multivariate ordered logistic regression models.

Results

• From 1999 to 2014, decrease in overall vegetable variety was noted (P=0.035), but vegetable amount did not decrease (P=0.864).
• Over this 16-year period, decrease in intake of starchy vegetables (P < 0.001), and increase in intake of dark green vegetables (P < 0.001) were observed, but there appeared no trends for other subgroups.
• Findings revealed an inverse linear relationship between vegetable variety and prevalent coronary heart disease (P-trend = 0.032) but not other prevalent diseases, and between vegetable amount and coronary heart disease (P-trend = 0.026) but not other prevalent diseases.
• Lower odds of having cardiovascular disease (0.86, 95% CI: 0.74–0.99) and coronary heart disease (0.78, 0.65–0.94) were evident among individuals who reported consuming dark green vegetables vs individuals who reported not consuming any green vegetables.
• Greater vegetable variety (P = < 0.001) was observed in correlation with living with a domestic partner, and lower vegetable variety (P = < 0.001) was observed in correlation with currently smoking.
• Positive association of vegetable variety and amount was identified (P < 0.001).