Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake To Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes In Asian And Black Females

Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and Asian females are at an increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). Abdominal fat distribution and arterial stiffness (AS) are key factors used to evaluate CMD risk. Additionally, dietary habits such as fruit and vegetable intake may improve CMD risk, however it has not been elucidated and may vary by race and culture. PURPOSE: This pilot study evaluated the association of fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake on fat distribution and AS in Asian and NH Black females after adjusting for age, race and BMI. METHODS: 88 healthy NH Black (B, n = 44) and East Asian (A, n = 44) females (Age: 22.6 ± 3.8 yrs, BMI: 23.7 ± 3.5 kg/m2) were given a validated 7-item food frequency questionnaire where they reported F/V intake ranging from ‘less than 1 per week’ (score = 0) to ‘2 or more per day’ (score = 5) capturing a period over the previous 12 months. Each item score was summed for the F/V variable. Fat distribution was evaluated by Android/Gynoid %fat ratio (A/G ratio) using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometer. AS was measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using a Vicorder device. Separate linear regressions evaluated the association between F/V intake and A/G ratio and cfPWV controlling for BMI, age and race. An independent samples T-Test evaluated differences between races for F/V intake, A/G ratio, and cfPWV. RESULTS: After adjusting for BMI, age, and race, F/V intake did not have a significant impact on the variance in A/G ratio (ΔR2 = 0.001, p = 0.796) or cfPWV (ΔR2 = 0.010, p = 0.348). However, A/G ratio was significantly different between NH Black (0.83 ± 0.17) and Asian (0.90 ± 0.14, p = 0.039) participants. There were no significant differences between races for cfPWV (B: 5.8 ± 0.77 m/s; A:5.8 ± 0.48 m/s, p = 0.863) or F/V intake (B: 9.95 ± 4.18; A: 9.27 ± 3.04, p = 0.384). CONCLUSIONS: F/V intake was not significantly associated to A/G ratio or cfPWV in NH Black and Asian females after controlling for BMI, age and race. F/V intake was low for both NH Black and Asian females (a score greater than 16 indicates adequate F/V intake), which may have contributed to the lack of association. There was a significant difference between NH Black and Asian females for A/G ratio. Future studies should evaluate how other dietary, or lifestyle patterns vary between race and culture and how that impacts fat distribution and CMD risk. Research reported was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P30DK056350. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.