Extra Veg Won't Stop Cancer

Eating your fruits and veggies has many health benefits, but a dramatic reduction in the likelihood of cancer isn't one of them, a new study finds. The results dispute claims made by nutrition authorities that increased vegetable intake could slash cancer rates by 50%. In fact, Mount Sinai researchers found that an extra two portions of fruit and vegetables would, in the best case, prevent 2.6% of cancers in men and 2.3% of cases in women.

The message seems to be that eating fruits and veggies are just a small piece of what one scientist called "a much larger lifestyle puzzle" to prevent cancer, the BBC reports. Others said that such a reduction in cancer should not be dismissed if it is as easy as eating more vegetables. "For the UK, this works out as about 7,000 cases a year, which is a significant number," a scientist with the World Cancer Research Fund argues.
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