broccoli reduces cardiovascular disease mortality ?

Authors
Yochum L. Kushi LH. Meyer K. Folsom AR.
Institution
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55105, USA.
Title
Dietary flavonoid intake
and risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
Source
American Journal of Epidemiology. 149(10):943-9, 1999 May 15.
Abstract
Flavonoids, a group of phenolic compounds found in fruits
and vegetables, are known to have antioxidant properties. They prevent low
density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro and thus may play a role in the
prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). In 1986, in a prospective study
of 34,492 postmenopausal women in Iowa, the authors examined the association
of flavonoid intake with CHD and stroke
mortality. Over 10 years of follow-up, 438 deaths from CHD and 131 deaths
from stroke were documented. Total flavonoid
intake was associated with a decreased risk of CHD death
after adjusting for age and energy intake (p for trend =
0.04). This association was attenuated after multivariate adjustment.
However, decreased risk was seen in each category of intake
compared with the lowest. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals of CHD
death from lowest to highest intake category were 1.0, 0.67
(95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.92), 0.56 (95% CI 0.39-0.79), 0.86 (95%
CI 0.63-1.18), and 0.62 (95% CI 0.44-0.87).There was no association between
total flavonoid intake and stroke mortality
(p for trend = 0.83). Of the foods that contributed the most to
flavonoid intake in this cohort, only
broccoli was strongly associated with reduced risk of CHD death. The data of
this study suggest that flavonoid intake
may reduce risk of death from CHD in postmenopausal women.