Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Epidemiology

Food groups associated with a reduced risk of 15-year all-cause death

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 70, pages 715–722 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Long-term observational cohorts provide the opportunity to investigate the potential impact of dietary patterns on death. We aimed to investigate all-cause death according to the consumption of selected food groups, and then to identify those independently associated with reduced mortality.

Subjects/Methods:

Population survey of middle-aged men randomly selected in the period 1995–1997 from the general population of three French areas and followed over a median of 14.8 years. Dietary data were collected through a 3-day food record. Cox modeling was used to assess the risk of death according to selected foods groups after extensive adjustment for confounders, including a diet quality index.

Results:

The study population comprised 960 men (mean age 55.5 ±6.2 years). After a median follow-up of 14.8 (interquartile range 14.3–15.2) years, 150 (15.6%) subjects had died. Food groups that remained independently predictive of a lower risk of death after extensive adjustment were an above-median consumption of milk (adjusted relative risk: 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43–0.86, P-value=0.005), fruits and vegetables (0.68, 0.46–0.98, P-value=0.041) and a moderate consumption of yogurts and cottage cheese (0.50, 95% CI: 0.31–0.81, P-value=0.005), other cheeses (0.62, 0.39–0.97, P-value=0.036) and bread (0.57, 0.37–0.89, P-value=0.014). Besides, there was a nonsignificant trend for a higher risk of death associated with highest sodium intakes.

Conclusions:

Consumption of food groups that largely match recommendations is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death in men. A diet providing moderate amounts of diverse food groups appears associated with the highest life expectancy.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Perk J, De Backer G, Gohlke H, Graham I, Reiner Z, Verschuren M et al. European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (version 2012). The Fifth Joint Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (constituted by representatives of nine societies and by invited experts). Eur Heart J 2012; 33: 1635–1701.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. American Heart Association Nutrition Committee, Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Brands M, Carnethon M, Daniels S, Franch HA et al. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2006; 114: 82–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hercberg S, Chat-Yung S, Chaulia M . The French National Nutrition and Health Program: 2001-2006-2010. Int J Public Health 2008; 53: 68–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. French Ministry of Health. French National Nutrition and Health Program—2011-2015. Available from http://social-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/PNNS_UK_INDD_V2.pdf (accessed 14 April 2015.

  5. Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, Hubbard VS, de Jesus JM, Lee IM et al. 2013 AHA/ACC Guideline on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation 2014; 129: S76–S99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Svetkey LP, Simons-Morton D, Vollmer WM, Appel LJ, Conlin PR, Ryan DH et al. Effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure: subgroup analysis of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) randomized clinical trial. Arch Intern Med 1999; 159: 285–293.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Schaefer EJ . Lipoproteins, nutrition, and heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 75: 191–212.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, Covas MI, Corella D, Aros F et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. New Engl J Med 2013; 368: 1279–1290.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Naska A, Fouskakis D, Oikonomou E, Almeida MD, Berq MA, Gedrich K et al. Dietary patterns and their socio-demographic determinants in 10 European countries: data from the DAFNE databank. Eur J Clin Nutr 2006; 60: 181–190.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuulasmaa K, Tunstall-Pedoe H, Dobson A, Fortmann S, Sans S, Tolonen H et al. Estimation of contribution of changes in classic risk factors to trends in coronary-event rates across the WHO MONICA Project populations. Lancet 2000; 355: 675–687.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ruidavets JB, Bongard V, Dallongeville J, Arveiler D, Ducimetiere P, Perret B et al. High consumptions of grain, fish, dairy products and combinations of these are associated with a low prevalence of metabolic syndrome. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61: 810–817.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Perrin AE, Simon C, Hedelin G, Arveiler D, Schaffer P, Schlienger JL . Ten-year trends of dietary intake in a middle-aged French population: relationship with educational level. Eur J Clin Nutr 2002; 56: 393–401.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ruidavets JB, Bataille V, Dallongeville J, Simon C, Bingham A, Amouyel P et al. Alcohol intake and diet in France, the prominent role of lifestyle. Eur Heart J 2004; 25: 1153–1162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE). Internet. Available from http://www.insee.fr/fr/methodes/default.asp?page=definitions/rnipp.htm (accessed 14 April 2015).

  15. Wilson PW, D'Agostino RB, Levy D, Belanger AM, Silbershatz H, Kannel WB . Prediction of coronary heart disease using risk factor categories. Circulation 1998; 97: 1837–1847.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS . Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 1972; 18: 499–502.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Evans AE, Ruidavets JB, McCrum EE, Cambou JP, McClean R, Douste-Blazy P et al. Autres pays, autres coeurs? Dietary patterns, risk factors and ischaemic heart disease in Belfast and Toulouse. QJM 1995; 88: 469–477.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Perrin AE, Dallongeville J, Ducimetiere P, Ruidavets JB, Schlienger JL, Arveiler D et al. Interactions between traditional regional determinants and socio-economic status on dietary patterns in a sample of French men. Br J Nutr 2005; 93: 109–114.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kesse-Guyot E, Castetbon K, Estaquio C, Czernichow S, Galan P, Hercberg S . Association between the French nutritional guideline-based score and 6-year anthropometric changes in a French middle-aged adult cohort. Am J Epidemiol 2009; 170: 757–765.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kesse-Guyot E, Touvier M, Henegar A, Czernichow S, Galan P, Hercberg S et al. Higher adherence to French dietary guidelines and chronic diseases in the prospective SU.VI.MAX cohort. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011; 65: 887–894.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Berard E, Bongard V, Arveiler D, Amouyel P, Wagner A, Dallongeville J et al. Ten-year risk of all-cause mortality: assessment of a risk prediction algorithm in a French general population. Eur J Epidemiol 2011; 26: 359–368.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ferrieres J . The French paradox: lessons for other countries. Heart 2004; 90: 107–111.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Cottel D, Dallongeville J, Wagner A, Ruidavets JB, Arveiler D, Ferrieres J et al. The North-East-South gradient of coronary heart disease mortality and case fatality rates in France is consistent with a similar gradient in risk factor clusters. Eur J Epidemiol 2000; 16: 317–322.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Elwood PC, Pickering JE, Givens DI, Gallacher JE . The consumption of milk and dairy foods and the incidence of vascular disease and diabetes: an overview of the evidence. Lipids 2010; 45: 925–939.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Louie JC, Flood VM, Burlutsky G, Rangan AM, Gill TP, Mitchell P . Dairy consumption and the risk of 15-year cardiovascular disease mortality in a cohort of older australians. Nutrients 2013; 5: 441–454.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Patterson E, Larsson SC, Wolk A, Akesson A . Association between dairy food consumption and risk of myocardial infarction in women differs by type of dairy food. J Nutr 2013; 143: 74–79.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Bonthuis M, Hughes MC, Ibiebele TI, Green AC, van der Pols JC . Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010; 64: 569–577.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Elwood PC, Givens DI, Beswick AD, Fehily AM, Pickering JE, Gallacher J . The survival advantage of milk and dairy consumption: an overview of evidence from cohort studies of vascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. J Am Coll Nutr 2008; 27: 723S–734S.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Elwood PC, Pickering JE, Fehily AM . Milk and dairy consumption, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome: the Caerphilly prospective study. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61: 695–698.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Ness AR, Smith GD, Hart C . Milk coronary heart disease and mortality. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001; 55: 379–382.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Tholstrup T . Dairy products and cardiovascular disease. Curr Opin Lipidol 2006; 17: 1–10.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Elwood PC, Pickering JE, Hughes J, Fehily AM, Ness AR . Milk drinking, ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke II. Evidence from cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004; 58: 718–724.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Soedamah-Muthu SS, Ding EL, Al-Delaimy WK, Hu FB, Engberink MF, Willett WC et al. Milk and dairy consumption and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 93: 158–171.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Cho E, Smith-Warner SA, Spiegelman D, Beeson WL, van den Brandt PA, Colditz GA et al. Dairy foods, calcium, and colorectal cancer: a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 1015–1022.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Zemel EB . Calcium modulation of hypertension and obesity: mechanisms and implications. J Am Coll Nutr 2001; 20 (Suppl 5), 428S–435S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Fitzgerald RJ, Meisel H . Milk protein-derived peptide inhibitors of angiotensine-I-converting enzyme. Br J Nutr 2000; 84 (Suppl 1), 33S–37S.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Kai SH, Bongard V, Simon C, Ruidavets JB, Arveiler D, Dallongeville J, Wagner A, Amouyel P, Ferrieres J . Low-fat and high-fat dairy products are differently related to blood lipids and cardiovascular risk score. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2014; 21: 1557–1567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Michaelsson K, Wolk A, Langenskiold S, Basu S, Warensjo Lemming E et al. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. Br Med J 2014; 349: g6015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB . Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. New Engl J Med 2011; 364: 2392–2404.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. National Research Council Dietary Reference Intakes: the Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. National Academies Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2006.

  41. Threapleton DE, Greenwood DC, Evans CE, Cleghorn CL, Nykjaer C, Woodhead C et al. Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br Med J 2013; 347: f6879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AF . Metabolic effects of dietary fiber consumption and prevention of diabetes. J Nutr 2008; 138: 439–442.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Aune D, Chan DS, Lau R, Vieira R, Greenwood DC, Kampman E et al. Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Br Med J 2011; 343: d6617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Rodriguez-Casado A . The health potential of fruits and vegetables phytochemicals: notable examples. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr; e-pub ahead of print 16 September 2014; doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.755149.

  45. He FJ, MacGregor GA . Fortnightly review: beneficial effects of potassium. Br Med J 2001; 323: 497–501.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Dauchet L, Amouyel P, Hercberg S, Dallongeville J . Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Nutr 2006; 136: 2588–2593.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. He FJ, Nowson CA, MacGregor GA . Fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke: meta-analysis of cohort studies. Lancet 2006; 367: 320–326.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. New Engl J Med 1997; 336: 1117–1124.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, Appel LJ, Bray GA, Harsha D et al. Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. New Engl J Med 2001; 344: 3–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Sette S, Le Donne C, Piccinelli R, Mitura L, Ferrari M, Lecercq C . The third National Food Consumption Survey, INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: major dietary sources of nutrients in Italy. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2013; 64: 1014–1021.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank all the investigators of the MONICA Project for their contribution to the compilation, validation and analysis of the data. We are grateful to the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE) and the three regional health centers for their collaboration. Sophie Rushton-Smith provided writing support and was funded by the authors. The study received an unrestricted grant from the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière (CNIEL).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    V Bongard & J-B Ruidavets

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UMR 1027, INSERM—Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    V Bongard, J-B Ruidavets & J Ferrières

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, EA 3430, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    D Arveiler & A Wagner

  4. Department of Public Health, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    D Arveiler

  5. Institut Pasteur de Lille, U744 INSERM—Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France

    J Dallongeville & N Marécaux

  6. Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Hospices Civils de Lyon, UMR 1060 INSERM—Université Lyon 1, Oullins, France

    C Simon

  7. Department of Cardiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    J Ferrières

Authors
  1. V Bongard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D Arveiler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J Dallongeville
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J-B Ruidavets
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A Wagner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. C Simon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. N Marécaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. J Ferrières
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V Bongard.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bongard, V., Arveiler, D., Dallongeville, J. et al. Food groups associated with a reduced risk of 15-year all-cause death. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 715–722 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.19

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.19

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links