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Groenten en fruit voor langer leven*
Uit een langlopende studie onder ruim 15.000 deelnemers blijkt dat het regelmatig eten van groenten en fruit dat rijk is aan de bioactieve stof alfacaroteen ziektes voorkomt en je leven verlengd. Degene met hoge bloedwaarden alfacaroteen hadden 39% minder kans hadden om dood te gaan aan welke ziekte dan ook. Vooral gele en oranje groenten, zoals wortels, pompoen en zoete aardappelen, zijn rijk aan alfacaroteen. Maar ook in donkergroene groenten, zoals broccoli, spinazie, sperziebonen en sla komt wel alfacaroteen voor. Ook bleek dat mensen met veel alfacaroteen in hun bloed minder kans hebben op hart- en vaatziekten en kanker. Hoe hoger het gehalte aan alfacaroteen, hoe beter iemand beschermd is tegen ziekte en vroegtijdig overlijden.
abstract:
Serum -Carotene Concentrations and Risk of Death Among US Adults
The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study 
Chaoyang Li, MD, PhD; Earl S. Ford, MD, MPH; Guixiang Zhao, MD, PhD; Lina S. Balluz, MPH, ScD; Wayne H. Giles, MD, MS; Simin Liu, MD, ScD 
Arch Intern Med. Published online November 22, 2010. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.440
Background Much research has been conducted relating total carotenoids-and ß-carotene in particular-to risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Limited data are emerging to implicate the important role of -carotene in the development of CVD or cancer. 
Methods We assessed the direct relationship between -carotene concentrations and risk of death among 15 318 US adults 20 years and older who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study. We used Cox proportional hazard regression analyses to estimate the relative risk for death from all causes and selected causes associated with serum -carotene concentrations. 
Results Compared with participants with serum -carotene concentrations of 0 to 1 µg/dL (to convert to micromoles per liter, multiply by 0.01863), those with higher serum levels had a lower risk of death from all causes (P < .001 for linear trend): the relative risk for death was 0.77 (95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.87) among those with -carotene concentrations of 2 to 3 µg/dL, 0.73 (0.65-0.83) among those with concentrations of 4 to 5 µg/dL, 0.66 (0.55-0.79) among those with concentrations of 6 to 8 µg/dL, and 0.61 (0.51-0.73) among those with concentrations of 9 µg/dL or higher after adjustment for potential confounding variables. We also found significant associations between serum -carotene concentrations and risk of death from CVD (P = .007), cancer (P = .02), and all other causes (P < .001). The association between serum -carotene concentrations and risk of death from all causes was significant in most subgroups stratified by demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and health risk factors. 
Conclusions Serum -carotene concentrations were inversely associated with risk of death from all causes, CVD, cancer, and all other causes. These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death. 
Author Affiliations: Division of Behavioral Surveillance, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (Drs Li and Balluz), and Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Drs Ford, Zhao, and Giles), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles (Dr Liu).  (November 2010)