Fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to primary headaches: the MEPHASOUS study

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519- 020- 00984- 7

Abstract-Summary Fruit and vegetable consumption may beneficially affect the odds of primary head- aches due to their antioxidant contents.

No study has examined the association between fruit and vegetable consumption

and primary headaches among university students.

To assess the relation between fruit and vegetable intakes and primary headaches

among Iranian university students.

Fruit consumption was negatively associated with primary headaches; such that after controlling for potential confounders, greater intake of fruits was associated with 30% lower odds of primary headaches (OR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.58–0.84).

Subgroup analysis revealed that fruit consumption was inversely associated with primary headaches in females, unlike males, and vegetable consumption was inversely associated with these headaches in males, as opposed to females.

Fruit and vegetable consumption was related to lower odds of primary headaches

in normal-weight students.

Fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with reduced odds of primary

headaches.

Extended: Fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with decreased odds of

primary headaches.

Introduction These food groups contain a high amount of fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that are responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of fruit and vegetables [620, 621].

Little attention has been paid to the relation between fruit and vegetable con- sumption and inflammation-based neurovascular diseases such as primary headaches.

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2 Mechanisms

Despite the possible beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on the nervous system, no study has examined the link between the consumption of these food groups and the odds of primary headaches.

It has been shown that university students tend to have energy-dense foods such as fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in their diet rather than fruit and vegetables [622, 623].

Having a poor diet might be a reason for the high prevalence of primary head-

aches among university students.

The current study aimed to assess the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and primary headaches among a large population of university students.

Materials and Methods To dietary intakes, students were asked to report the frequency of breakfast con- sumption in a week via these options: < 1 day/week, 1–2 days/week, 3–4 days/wk, ≥5 days/week.

To evaluate fruit consumption, students were asked to consider fresh and dried fruit and then, report their intakes based on these options: <1 serv/day, 1 serv/day, 2–3 serv/day, ≥ 4 serv/day.

Students were asked to report vegetable consumption by use of four-choice

response categories: <1 serv/day, 1 serv/week, 2–3 serv/week, ≥ 4 serv/week.

Students were categorized based on four categories of fruit (<1 serv/day, 1 serv/ day, 2–3 serv/day, ≥4 serv/day) and vegetable (<1 serv/day, 1 serv/week, 2–3 serv/ week, ≥ 4 serv/week) consumption.

Students in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable consumption were consid-

ered as the reference group.

Results In terms of vegetable consumption, compared with students in the lowest category of vegetable consumption, those in the highest category were more likely to be female, married, university graduate, physically active, current smoker, have over- weight or obesity, hypertension, have an occupation, a good economic status, and less likely to be breakfast skipper, have regular sleep pattern, use nutritional supple- ments, frequently use net-connected devices, and have primary headaches.

This association was also seen after controlling for demographic characteristics, physical activity, and BMI, such that students in the highest category of fruit con- sumption had 30% lower odds for having primary headaches compared with those in the lowest category (OR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.58–0.84).

In both genders, a significant inverse association was found between fruit con- sumption and primary headaches; however, in the fully adjusted model, this associa- tion remained significant in female students and became non-significant in male ones, such that females in the highest category of fruit consumption had 35% lower odds of primary headaches compared with those in the lowest category (OR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.50–0.84).

2.4 Lifestyle

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Discussion Fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with reduced odds of primary headaches.

In females, unlike males, fruit consumption was inversely associated with pri- mary headaches, while vegetable consumption was inversely associated with these headaches in males in contrast to females.

Fruit and vegetable consumption was related to decreased odds of primary head-

aches in normal-weight students.

This study was the first investigation that examined the association of fruit and

vegetable consumption with primary headaches.

Higher intakes of fruit and vegetables were related to decreased odds of primary

headaches.

The associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and primary head-

aches were different between male and female students.

We found no significant association between fruit and vegetable intakes and pri- mary headaches in students with overweight or obesity as opposed to normal-weight students.

Conclusion High intakes of fruit and vegetables were associated with decreased odds of primary headaches.

Fruit consumption was inversely associated with primary headaches in females, in contrast to male students, and vegetable consumption was inversely associated with these headaches in males, but not in females.

Fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with decreased odds of primary

headaches.

Fruit consumption was inversely associated with primary headaches in females and vegetable consumption was inversely associated with these headaches in males.

Acknowledgement A machine generated summary based on the work of Mansouri, Masoume; Sharifi, Farshad; Varmaghani, Mehdi; Shokri, Azad; Rahdar, HosseinAli; Keshtkar, Abasali; Sadeghi, Omid. 2020 in Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity.

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