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Two new studies from Harvard University have revealed that fruits, vegetables and a diet low in fat can protect against heart disease.

The first study of more than 84,000 female healthcare workers aged 34 to 59 and more than 42,000 male healthcare workers aged 40 to 75 found that just one additional daily serving of fruit or vegetables lowered the risk of heart disease by 4%. Vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and fruits such as oranges and grapefruits offered the most benefits.

The investigators reviewed data from two large studies examining factors affecting the health of middle-aged women and men. The findings show that people who ate the most fruits and vegetables were older, had healthier lifestyles overall and smoked less. Still, the relationship between high fruit and vegetable intake and low risk of heart disease remained regardless of exercise or smoking habits and vitamin use.

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was also found to protect people with type 2 diabetes against heart attack, a potential complication of the disease. Fruits and vegetables contain myriad compounds that have been linked with improved health. Fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants have all been shown to lower heart disease.

A second study published in the journal reports diets low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains improved blood flow and prevented damage to the cells that line the arteries in a group of men with high cholesterol. Damage to these particular cells may lead to atherosclerosis--a build-up of plaque inside arteries that inhibits the flow of blood.

In the study, 22 men followed a diet high in saturated fat for 4 weeks and then switched to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for 28 days. The low-fat diet was either the National Cholesterol Education Program diet, which is recommended for people with slightly to moderately high cholesterol; or a ``Mediterranean'' diet rich in grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits and low in meat.

The Annals of Internal Medicine (2001;134:1106-1114, 1115-1119) reported that both diets resulted in reduced cholesterol and LDL (''bad'') cholesterol levels, but the Mediterranean diet had the added effect of protecting the cells that line arteries from damage.

Information provided is courtesy of and compiled by the Academy of Anti-Aging Research staffs, editors, and other reports.