Minimal Impact of Nutrition Education and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Aims: To determine the effectiveness of a community-based fruit and vegetable education program and provision of fruits and vegetables on consumption of fruits, vegetables, antioxidants, and changes in biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress among overweight and obese adults.
Study Design: Randomized controlled design.
Place and Duration of Study: North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota; 14 weeks.
Methodology: Forty-seven adults (31 women; 45.9±11.8 y; body mass index 32.7 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups. The control group received no intervention, the education group attended weekly nutrition education lessons, the fruit and vegetable group attended weekly nutrition education lessons and received one serving of fruits and two servings of vegetables per day for 10 weeks. Fasting blood was drawn and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and antioxidants was assessed using three-day food records.
Results: Increased consumption of fruit from pre- to post-test was indicated among fruit and vegetable group participants, P = .01, and among education group participants, although this difference was not significant, P = .11. In contrast, a significant decrease in fruit servings consumed from pre- to post-test for control group participants was observed, P = .02. Vegetable consumption was the same for control group participants, decreased by 0.3 serving among education group participants, and increased by 0.4 serving among fruit and vegetable group participants. No significant differences in plasma TNF-α, TBARS, or CRP concentrations from pre- to post-test were indicated among the three groups, although the largest decrease was observed among fruit and vegetable group participants, P = .07.
Conclusion: Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption among participants were minimally associated with improvements in inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers. Adequate and varied fruit and vegetable consumption is recommended to aid in the prevention and regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress.