Fruit and vegetables are thought to help protect against cancer both directly through a combination of nutrients which form anti-cancer agents, and indirectly by helping to maintain a healthy body weight. Fruit and vegetables are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, which help to protect your body against cancer. They are also rich in nutrients and low in kilojoules and are therefore great food choices if you’re trying to maintain or lose weight.
Here’s what we know:
- Research shows that by eating 2 serves of fruits, 5 of vegetables and adequate fibre each day, up to 4% of all cancers could be prevented.
- Excess fat around the stomach and being obese are well-documented risk factors for some cancers of the stomach, bowel, breast (post-menopause), oesophagus, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreas, endometrium, ovary and prostate (advanced).
- Organic fruit and vegetables do not appear to protect against cancer more than conventionally grown fruit and vegetables.
Remember:
- There is no one ‘super’ fruit or vegetable, so it is important to eat a rainbow of colours to get variety. Don’t forget to eat the Can Too orange ones! This will keep your diet interesting and give your body the best protection.
- It’s best to eat both raw and cooked vegetables as there are some cancer-fighting agents best absorbed by each method. Use as little water as possible when cooking to prevent nutrient loss.
- Whole fruit and vegetabes are preferable to juices or nutrient supplements, particularly for the benefits of fibre in the whole fruit.
Read more about Can Too’s investment in Stomach Cancer Prevention
