Fruits, vegetables lower cancer risk

People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancers include cancers of the oral cavity; pharynx and larynx and are the sixth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, resulting in more than 350,000 deaths annually. Past studies have suggested that fruits and vegetables might provide protection against head and neck cancers. But most of these studies compared cancer patients with healthy individuals, rather than following the same group of people over time to see whether fruit and vegetable intake helped predict cancer development. To examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake and reduced risk of head and neck cancer, American researchers used data on 490,802 older adults who were surveyed about their diet and other health factors, then followed for 4 years. During that time, 787 men and women were diagnosed with cancers of the mouth, throat or voice box. It was found that cancer risk declined as the intake of fruits and vegetables increased. Participants who ate the most vegetables (three to four servings a day) had a one-third lower risk of developing head and neck cancers than their counterparts who ate the fewest (less than one serving per day). Certain foods emerged as particularly protective. Legumes, including dried beans, peas and string beans, as well as peppers, tomatoes and carrots were linked to lower cancer odds. The same was true of fruits, which include apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears and strawberries. The researchers, however, were unable to find a reason for the protective effect of these fruits and vegetables. The findings suggest that consuming more fruits and vegetables may dwindle the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat or voice box. So, adults should take at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day for the sake of their overall health.