Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Center, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom.
Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2013;64:19-46. doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050312-120142. Epub 2013 Feb 28.
Chronic disease is a major social challenge of the twenty-first century. In this review, we examine the evidence for discordance between modern diets and those on which humankind evolved as the cause of the increasing incidence of chronic diseases, and the evidence supporting consumption of plant foods as a way to reduce the risk of chronic disease. We also examine the evidence for avoiding certain components of plant-based foods that are enriched in Western diets, and review the mechanisms by which different phytonutrients are thought to reduce the risk of chronic disease. This body of evidence strongly suggests that consuming more fruits and vegetables could contribute both to medical nutrition therapies, as part of a package of treatments for conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity, and to the prevention of these diseases. Plant science should be directed toward improving the quality of plant-based foods by building on our improved understanding of the complex relationships between plants, our diet, and our health.
慢性疾病是 21 世纪的重大社会挑战。在这篇综述中，我们研究了现代饮食与人类进化过程中的饮食之间存在差异是导致慢性疾病发病率上升的原因的证据，以及支持食用植物性食物以降低慢性疾病风险的证据。我们还研究了避免富含西方饮食的植物性食物中某些成分的证据，并回顾了不同植物营养素被认为可降低慢性疾病风险的机制。这方面的证据强烈表明，多吃水果和蔬菜既可以作为医疗营养疗法的一部分，纳入 2 型糖尿病、心脏病、癌症和肥胖等疾病的综合治疗方案，也有助于预防这些疾病。植物科学应该通过利用我们对植物、我们的饮食和健康之间复杂关系的理解，来改善植物性食物的质量。
