Eating Green Fights Cancer

tidbits that tantalize

I Brought Broccoli...

Come on, come on - it's got to be in here somewhere.

You rummage through your "junk" drawer a second time, becoming more desperate with each passing moment. Fifteen minutes ago, life was grand. Then, the door flew open and, "Mom!" The last time your mom showed up unannounced was an embarrassment you are not keen to repeat. You hum loudly in a feeble attempt to hide your search, hoping she'll be distracted by the...

"Johnnie!"

Your mom's call jolts you to your core. You sigh sadly and march into the other room to take your medicine. As you enter, you're struck by what a kind looking woman she is and, really, for being 93, she looks terrific.

"Is this what you were looking for?"

She hands you the lapel pin - the one that says, "Mom was Right" - and chuckles softly. Then, she reaches into her purse and hands you a stick of broccoli. "Here," she says, "You look hungry."

Research seems to confirm that mom was on to something.

A study following 500,000 retirees concludes that eating vegetables protects against developing head and neck cancer. Experts believe that two-thirds of all cancers are lifestyle related. Smoking, alcohol use, poor dietary habits and a lack of appropriate exercise are the leading factors in cancer risk. Vegetables, even in modest quantities, appear to be at the other end of the spectrum.

The researchers found that a single serving of fruit or vegetables - for each 1,000 calories consumed - reduced the risk of head and neck cancer by 6%. Not significant enough? The benefit increases proportionally with increased veggie intake. When six servings of fruits and vegetables are consumed the drop in risk is a robust 29%.

"Wow, I could've had a V8."

...Well, really, you know your mother means well. It's just, now that you're 73 and the CEO of a multi-billion dollar international electronics consortium - you wish your mom would quit showing up at the board meetings with a purse full of broccoli.

To read more about the study, see this from Reuters Health. To read more about the benefits of fruit and vegetables, see this from the Harvard School of Public Health.