Benefits of fruit and veg still felt 20 years later

EATING plenty of fruit and vegetables when you are a young adult protects the heart in middle age, a study has found.

People who ate healthily in early adulthood were a quarter less likely to have arteries clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma 20 years later.

The condition known as atherosclerosis can be serious because the plaques cause arteries to harden and narrow, potentially leading to heart attack or stroke. Using CT scans for measurement, the Minneapolis Heart Institute in Minnesota found that those who ate a diet rich in fruit and vegetables had less calcified coronary artery plaque two decades later.

Dr Michael Miedema, a senior consulting cardiologist, said: “People shouldn’t assume that they can wait until they’re older to eat healthy – our study suggests that what you eat as a young adult may be as important as what you eat as an older adult.”