Your Questions

Can eating more vegetables reduce the risk of cancer?

The World Cancer Research Fund review of nutrition and cancer prevention in 1997 reported convincing evidence that fruits and vegetables help prevent a range of cancers including cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum and lung.  Fruit and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants, fibre and a host of other anti-malignancy compounds.  Lycopene, a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes , may impact on prostate cancer risk while neoxanthin, a carotenoid largely present in spinach , may help the body fight this often deadly disease. A more recent study found a significant risk reduction associated with vegetables for breast, oesophagus, lung, stomach and colo-rectal cancer.  The World Health Organisation also found that consumption of 600g of fruits and vegetables each day could reduce the risk of stomach, oesophageal, lung and colo-rectal cancers by 19%, 20%, 12% and 2% respectively.