Are researchers saying vegetables are not as good for fighting cancer as they first suspected?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question Are researchers saying vegetables are not as good for fighting cancer as they first suspected?

Answer There is a 17 year Harvard study that concluded vegetables may not be the silver bullet we need to fight all cancers. For over 30 years, researchers performed studies that showed varying degrees of benefit from eating fruits and vegetables. Harvard scientists now say the design of these studies may have skewed the results somewhat.

Vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce, collards and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fiber, folate and a wide range of carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, along with saponins and flavonoids. In lab experiments, these substances do everything from eliminating free radicals to repairing DNA. These are the tasks of cancer fighters. Right?

The Harvard study says vegetables may protect us against certain cancers, like mouth, colon, kidney, lung and ovary. Even stronger evidence exists to show a benefit from carotenoids against prostate cancer.

The primary benefit from eating veggies may be heart related. The Harvard study shows vegetables and fruits can lower the risk of heart disease (#1 killer of Americans) and stroke, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. They also found the higher the daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chance of developing cardiovascular disease.

Many studies have shown the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. It is estimated that approximately 50% of Americans do not eat enough green leafy vegetables. This problem can be solved by growing a garden, visiting a roadside stand and/or making different menu choices.

The fall and winter is a great time to get on a leafy vegetable kick. Brussels sprouts, collards, lettuce, cabbage, mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale and broccoli are all available in abundance. For assistance growing your own garden visit http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/tog/planning.html and http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8103.pdf

If you want to see more of the Harvard fruit and vegetable study, visit http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fruits.html If you don’t have internet access, then call me at 910-893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org

A panda bear’s diet is 99% bamboo. A polar bear’s diet is 99% meat (seal and fish). Both animals are battling extinction. A black bears diet consist of plants, meat and the occasional park visitor, and the black bear’s population is booming. Hmmmm.

http://www.bearplanet.org/

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent