Sunday, June 13, 2010

EPIC Study again - keep eating your fruits and vegetables!

In an earlier blog post, I offered my thoughts about the recently published study investigating the role of fruit and vegetable intake for prevention of cancer, for which most media outlets ran negative headlines, such as:

"EPIC study finds 'weak' link for fruit and veg against cancer"
"Fruits and vegetables provide only modest protection against cancer"
"Fruits and Veggies Probably Don't Prevent Cancer"

"Cancer Protective Effect of Fruits and Vegetables May Be Modest at Best"
"The EPIC Study Questions Usual Diet Cancer Advice"


Here was my headline: "Don't Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater!"


A recently published magazine article in Today's Dietitian also took a look at this study, interviewing me and several other Registered Dietitians (RDs) who specialize in nutritional oncology, either actually evaluating and educating people undergoing cancer therapy or RDs involved in cancer and nutrition research.

In different words, they all offer the same sage advice as I did; continue striving for at least 5 servings per day of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, focusing on those with deep dark colors (including leafy greens like kale - of course!) or ones that are lighter in color (like garlic - of course!, onions, leeks) but still contain multiple cancer-fighting compounds.

I have changed nothing in my diet based on the results of this study, still striving for 9+ servings each day. My 16 year old nephew currently staying with us eats pretty darn well, but I do think he is astounded at the amount and variety of vegetables we eat every single day, in fact almost at every single meal.

So I encourage you to hop down to your local farmers' markets as often as possible during the week to supplement what you are growing yourself as you continue to strive for overall great health, which definitely is associated with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables! :-)



"Cultivate your life - you are what you grow - inch by inch, row by row"

Diana Dyer, MS, RD

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