Another Reason to Eat More Vegetables: Lower Risk for Pancreatitis

Sustained alcohol intake and smoking are well-established risk factors for acute, nongallstone-related pancreatitis, but protective environmental factors have not been identified. Now, investigators have examined whether risk for the disease can be lowered by fruit and vegetable consumption.

In a population-based prospective cohort study, two gender-specific cohorts of 80,019 individuals representative of the general population of Sweden were followed for approximately 12 years. Researchers used a validated questionnaire to collect data on fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol intake, smoking, and other factors. Cases of acute pancreatitis were ascertained through linkage with a national patient registry, and cases of gallstone-related pa…