It's common knowledge that eating more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis is good for health. It can provide your body with a number of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, required for it to perform various body functions. However, did you know that eating more fruits and veggies can even reduce risk of cancer? According to a new study, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower risks of developing breast cancer in women. The study published in International Journal of Cancer concluded that including more fruit and veggies in their diet may help women fight risks of aggressive tumours in the breasts. These results are especially significant as breast cancer is the most common type of cancer, affecting more and more women each year, globally.
The study found that among its participants, women who consumed over 5.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day had an 11 per cent lower chance of developing breast cancer than those who consumed 2.5 portions of fresh produce or lower. Moreover, the study also pinpointed certain vegetables that could significantly lower the risks of breast cancer is women. The study names cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, as well as yellow and orange vegetables as being associated with lower risks of breast cancer. The study indicated the involvement of antioxidants and other micro-nutrients present in these vegetables, in reducing risks of tumour development in breasts.
First author of the study Maryam Farvid from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston said that although earlier studies and research have also suggested an association between fresh vegetables and lower risk of cancer, there has been limited mention of specific fruits and vegetables in fighting aggressive forms of cancer like breast cancer. For the study, the researchers analysed diet questionnaires submitted every four years by participants in the Nurses' Health Study (88,301 women) and the Nurses' Health Study II (93,844 women).
(With IANS inputs)