Fruit and veg still good!

A recent study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute about fruit and vegetables having little effect on lowering cancer risk has caused some confusion. In this study of nearly 400,000 Europeans, around 30,000 cancers occurred over nine years. Those eating an extra 200g (around two servings) of fruits and vegetables per day had a four per cent lower incidence of cancer. So fruit and vegetables do protect against cancer, but not as substantially as previously thought. However, other studies show that specific substances in some fruit and vegetables have an important protective effect on certain cancers. For example, lycopene in tomato products reduces the risk of prostate cancer. It is also well-known that fruit and vegetables lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. So we consider that recommendations to increase intake of fruits and vegetables still have a sound basis.

_{Boffetta et al., 2010. Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Overall Cancer Risk in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 102 (8) 529-537.}