Can I Bury That Broccoli?

Irene Berman-Levine, PhD, RD
March 12, 2004

This article by Dr Irene Berman-Levine is the second of several extracts we are taking from her book, "Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits". You can order the book, which is packed with easily digested research news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here . Robert Griffith, Editor.

National 5-a-Day Week

Did you hear about National 5-a-Day Week? It's part of efforts by the National Cancer Institute to reduce the incidence of cancer by encouraging people to eat five fruits and vegetables a day. The Dietary Guidelines also reinforce this message with guideline #5: "Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily".

Wow! Who would have ever thought one of the ways to prevent cancer would be eating an orange or broccoli! Several major studies demonstrate a strong link between high fruit and vegetable intake and lower risk of several kinds of cancer. Yet many people believe their lives are too hectic to squeeze in vegetables and fruits. So let's encourage each other by sharing ways to make fruits and vegetables convenient and delicious. You can send me suggestions at the e-mail link given below.

Does five servings a day sound overwhelming? Keep in mind that each half cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of raw vegetables counts as a serving. Just having a large salad often gets you your five-a-day at one sitting!

Can't I just pop a pill instead of eating my broccoli to reduce risk of cancer? Sorry, it doesn't work that way. When research indicated fruits and vegetables had a protective effect, scientists began to try to isolate factors in food responsible for fighting cancer. Several major studies comparing cancer rates in those taking supplements and placebos (fake pills) were initiated. This is no easy task. There are many vitamins in food and many types of cancer. Results were not expected for many years. Yet many people began advocating supplements as a quick and easy answer.

Results of many of the studies are not available yet, or may not be the answer you want to hear if you love taking supplements. There is no well-designed research that provides strong support to the theory that specific vitamin supplements reduce cancer risk. In fact, one study was halted because the group taking the supplement had a much higher rate of death from lung cancer than those not taking a supplement.

Supplements causing cancer? The study mentioned above did open our eyes to the possibility that we may actually cause harm with supplements and cancer risk. In this study, beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) supplements or placebo (sugar pill) were given to individuals at high risk for lung cancer because they smoked. The study was originally slated to follow the health of the individuals for five years. Researchers noticed a higher rate of lung cancer than expected, even among smokers, and broke the code to determine who was getting the beta-carotene. They were surprised to find a higher rate of lung cancer in the beta-carotene group, and the study was immediately halted.¹ Other studies were not as conclusive.

Many studies are currently underway to try and determined if we can isolate food factors that fight cancer. It may be a while before there is an answer because nutrition is much more complicated than most people realize. In the case of beta-carotene, there are 400 carotene-like substances in foods that require further study. So the bad news is that it's not as easy as taking a pill.

The good news is that we still know eating whole fruits and vegetables reduce cancer risk. There appear to be many compounds in whole fruits and vegetables that reduce cancer risk and cannot yet be duplicated in a pill form. These components may include not only vitamins but other nutritional components including fiber and antioxidants like lycopene.

So what's the final scoop? Encouraging everyone to "eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily" is still one of the best ways to reduce the risk of cancer.

Order Dr Irene's book, which is packed with nutritional news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here.

Dr Irene is also the author of a weekly free newsletter which helps you understand the confusing world of nutrition and motivates you to choose healthy foods. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here

Source

• I Berman-Levine PhD, RD. "Welcome to Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits" 2002 Nutrition Program Planning Inc., PO Box 60748, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0748, USA

Footnotes
1. Drugs for preventing lung cancer in healthy people. M. Caraballoso, M. Sacristan, C. Serra, X. Bonfill, Cochrane Database Syst Rev., 2003, vol. 2, pp. 2--141

Related Links
E-mail Suggestions to Dr Irene
Lycopene May Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Fruits and Vegetables: The Benefits Come From the Sum of Their Parts
Could Beta-Carotene Raise the Risk for Colon Cancer?

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