Vegetable consumption and acute appendicitis in 59 areas in England and Wales.

Rates of acute appendicitis in 59 areas of England and Wales were correlated with consumption of different foods per caput, measured from household food purchases. There was a statistically significant positive correlation with potato consumption and a negative correlation with non-potato vegetables. This negative correlation depended mainly on green vegetables and tomatoes. There was no consistently significant correlation with any other main food group. In particular the correlations with cereal foods, cereal fibre, and total dietary fibre were small and not significant. Green vegetables and tomatoes may protect against appendicitis, possibly through an effect on the bacterial flora of the appendix.