Studies on the role of fruit and vegetables in the diet

Fruits, vegetables and potatoes have always had a good health image and their beneficial effects on human health have been cited in numerous scientific and popular journals and in trade journals and the press. In the past much of this interest rested on vitamins (especially vitamin C) and minerals, but more recently attention has switched to the possible beneficial effects of fruit, vegetables and potato consumption in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD), certain cancers, diabetes, and other so-called diseases of affluence. This article is not a review of this extensive field, as this has been carried out elsewhere (Gormley, Downey & O’Beirne, 1987a) but is confined to a discussion of some of the issues.