Fruits Eat fruits

"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.

Fruit is one of the most healthy and natural food available to man. There are many different types of fruits and almost all of them provide us with strong health benefits. Fruit contains a large number of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phyto-chemicals that help us prevent many ailments and eyesight orders.

Eat all varieties of fruits in good quantities and as often as possible - is what most doctors ad healthcare specialists recommend. Consuming plenty of fruits can prevent heart disease, cardiac stroke, certain types of cancer, intestinal ailments cataract and retinal problems. Regular eating of fruits also helps to keep blood pressure under control.

There is strong evidence to suggest that a diet rich in fruits can considerably lower the risk of heart diseases. A comprehensive report prepared by the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years. They found that the higher the average daily consumption of fruits, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Regular intake of sufficient quantities of fruits can be a very effective for lowering blood pressure.

Several studies have revealed that regular consumption of fruits acts against occurrence of cancer. A likely possibility is that some types of fruits may protect against certain cancers particularly cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer.

One of the valuable components of fruits is fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel, trigger regular bowel movements and prevent or relieve constipation

Eating plenty of fruits regularly also keeps your eyes healthy and vision in good shape. Fruits help to prevent cataract and macular degeneration the two common eye diseases that afflict millions of Americans over age 65.

Fruit are also immensely helpful for obese people wanting to shed weight. Energy consumption is thought to be mainly influenced by the palatability, fiber content, density of energy and the variety of foods. Eating fruit has the benefit of affecting some these factors. Fruits are also low in sodium which helps to lessen the chance of gaining water weight. If you are eating about one-third of the diet as fruits and vegetables, then there should be a steady weight loss because the large quantity of fruit consumption also helps to fill the stomach faster.

Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators. Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don't rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general.. A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables-such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like-and fruits "probably" protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. Three tomatos Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it.

One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue-lycopene-could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.

"Ten foods have been labeled 'super foods' by the American Cancer Society because of their cancer-fighting abilities." Try to incorporate these foods into your diet whenever you can:

• Berries (raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Broccoli
• Cold water fish (salmon, tuna)
• Flax seed (use as a food additive or in bread)
• Legumes ("Go meatless at least once a week," McDowell said.)
• Low-fat dairy products
• Spinach (fresh)
• Soy foods such as tofu; although "You may want to avoid soy foods if you have breast cancer. There is a potential relationship between the two," McDowell said.
• Sweet potatoes/pumpkin/squash (rich in Vitamin A or Beta Carotene)
• Walnuts (rich in Omega 3 fatty acids)

"Buy fresh food as often as possible. Learn to read product labels because they can help you choose foods that are better for you."

The largest body of evidence relating vegetable and fruit consumption to health has examined effects on cancer risk. The most extensive review to date has been published by an international interdisciplinary panel convened by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). This review concluded that, "Overall, when cancers of all anatomical sites are taken together, 78 percent have shown a significant decrease in risk for higher intake of at least one vegetable and/or fruit category examined." The review identified 217 observational epidemiologic studies that evaluated at least one association of fruit or vegetable intake with incidence of any type of cancer. For a variety of variables describing vegetable consumption, 69 to 80 percent of studies found an inverse association with cancer risk. For fruit in general and citrus fruit in particular, 64 and 66 percent of studies, respectively, found an inverse association with cancer risk. In keeping with established criteria for the evaluation of epidemiologic research, evidence was considered conclusive (termed "convincing" in the WCRF report) if there were an adequate number (at least 20) of relevant studies, including some with prospective designs.a The WCRF panel also required that studies be conducted in diverse populations, with control for important potential confounding factors. For example, because higher vegetable and fruit consumption is often correlated with lower fat intake and is more often observed in nonsmokers, the possible effects of fat intake and of smoking on cancer risk had to be considered in the design and analysis of studies of the effect of vegetable and fruit intakes on cancer risk. The overall body of evidence demonstrated conclusively that vegetables and fruit protect against cancer. The evidence was most conclusive for vegetables and fruit and cancers of the mouth and pharynx, esophagus, lung, and stomach and for vegetables alone and cancers of the colon and rectum. The association of vegetables and fruit with cancer incidence was judged to be strong, particularly for vegetables, with about a halving of risk overall found to be associated with consuming at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day as compared to only 1 or 2 servings.

The specific evidence of a dose-response, in which increasing intakes confer increasing protection in a graded manner, adds to the strength of the case for vegetable and fruit intakes. Such a dose-response was shown convincingly in several examples in the WCRF report. For example, for lung cancer, there was a halving of the relative risk as intakes increased from 150 to 400 grams (g) per day (i.e., from about 2 to about 5 servings per day, assuming 80 g per serving). Similar dose-response relations were noted for stomach cancer and both vegetables and fruit. Because the upper limit of the dose-response range that can be evaluated is limited by the ranges of intakes in populations studied, few data exist to support specific, quantitative recommendations for intakes of vegetables or fruit above 350 or 400 g per day.

The hypothesis that increasing vegetable and fruit intakes reduces cancer risk was not confirmed in one randomized trial. The U.S. Polyp Prevention Trial (PPT) tested the ability of dietary changes that included increasing vegetable and fruit intake (3.5 servings per 1,000 kcal) to prevent the recurrence of colorectal adenomas over 4 years of follow up. However, it was not designed to isolate the effect of changes in vegetable and fruit intake from the other changes targeted (e.g., increased whole grain intake and lower fat intake). In any case, the trial found that there was no difference in the recurrence of adenomas between the intervention and control groups. Thus, in the particular cancer-risk situation tested in the PPT, neither the increase in vegetable and fruit intake (about 2 servings per day), nor any of the other dietary changes, had a protective effect. This finding does not, however, rule out protection by vegetables and fruit against other types of cancers or in populations with different colon cancer risk profiles. It also is not clear whether a longer observation period or dietary changes earlier in life might yield significant risk reduction.

The lack of human experimental data leaves open the question of whether vegetables and fruit might only be a marker for some other aspect of dietary or lifestyle behavior with which they are closely correlated. However, the consistency of the association of vegetable and fruit intakes with cancer risk in populations with diverse lifestyles supports the conclusion that vegetables and fruit per se are responsible for the effect.

An important conclusion of the WCRF review was that the evidence supported a broad recommendation for increasing vegetable and fruit consumption for reducing cancer risk, rather than recommendations for specific types of vegetables and fruit. The numerous imperfections in the evidence base were acknowledged, including the wide variability in inclusion criteria, grouping, or specificity when defining and measuring vegetable and fruit intakes, as well as the possibility of overreporting or overestimating absolute intake levels. One reason that the recommendation for vegetable and fruit consumption remains broad is that the specific protective constituents in vegetables and fruit, alone or in combination, have not been identified with certainty. Relevant substances in vegetables and fruit include phytochemicals such as dithiolthiones, flavonoids, glucosinolates, and allium compounds, as well as carotenoids, other antioxidants, vitamins, folate, and minerals such as selenium and calcium. A large number of plausible mechanisms can explain how these various nutrients or bioactive constituents in vegetables and fruit can prevent or arrest carcinogenesis, and some are supported by animal and in vitro experiments.

Testing hypotheses experimentally requires large-scale, long-term studies as well as a best guess about which set of bioactive constituents to feed and at what level. The dose of vegetables and fruit associated with a particular effect can be reasonably estimated, but the specificity required to translate this information into a dose of any particular constituent does not exist in the present set of studies. Because of these uncertainties, the null findings of the chemoprevention trials of beta carotene do not detract substantially from the conclusion that vegetables and fruit reduce cancer risk. These findings, however, raise the question of whether any single constituent of vegetables and fruit or single pathway will be found responsible for protection from cancer. Multiple agents acting on multiple pathways, in parallel or interactively, are probably responsible. If so, the results of the chemoprevention trials argue in favor of recommending vegetables and fruit as foods, rather than attempting to achieve the effect with vitamin or mineral supplements.

Obesity is also a risk factor for kidney, pancreatic, and oral/esophageal cancers. "To reduce the fat in your diet, choose more low-fat or fat-free dairy, legumes, lean meats, poultry or fish. Skip rich sauces that are made with butter, cream or mayonnaise, and limit fried foods."

Diets rich in foods containing vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta carotene may also reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as bladder, breast, colorectal, and stomach cancer. Many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins A and C and beta carotene, such as dark green leafy vegetables, red, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits and citrus fruits and juices.

The benefits of a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains are numerous. "Not only will you decrease your risk of cancer, you will be able to better manage your weight, and reduce your risk of heart disease." .

Likewise, don't smoke. Tobacco causes about one-third of all cancer deaths - more than all the other reliably known cancer causing agents added together, according to the National Institutes of Health. Heart disease and emphysema caused by smoking kill even more people than cancer.

It takes years to form bad habits, so don't expect to change them overnight. Instead, consider some ongoing changes. For example, add fruits and vegetables gradually over a period of weeks. Each time you shop, choose a low-fat dairy product in place of one made with whole milk. Instead of buying a loaf of white bread, try one made with 100% whole grain flour such as whole wheat or rye.

"It isn't necessary to give up all the foods you like to help protect yourself from cancer. Instead, try to increase the number of times you choose foods that may reduce your risk of cancer."

fruit_vegefruit_vegeEpidemiologic studies also have demonstrated or suggested associations of vegetables and fruit or their constituents with reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD, i.e., heart disease, stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis), cataracts, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other conditions. For example, Klerk et al. estimated that vegetable and fruit consumption was associated with a 20 to 40 percent reduction in the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) based on a review of 12 epidemiologic studies conducted after 1994. Ness and Powles also found a reduced risk of CHD based on their review of 39 studies. The inverse association of vegetables and fruit or, from the Nurses' Health Study, vegetables alone, with stroke may be even larger than that for CHD. The evidence supporting a role for constituents of vegetables andfruit in protection against the development of cataracts and COPD has increased in recent years, and vegetables and fruit also may confer protection from conditions such as diabetes mellitus and diverticulosis because of their high content of dietary fiber.

Using the criteria for inferring causality employed in the WCRF review, the literature on the association between vegetables and fruit and these other health outcomes must be considered less comprehensive and less convincing than that for cancer. However, this additional literature is important in several respects. It extends the rationale for increasing vegetable and fruit consumption to include protection from CVD, which is the major cause of premature death in most populations. In addition, because CVD is more common than cancer and because intermediate variables that can serve as surrogate CVD endpoints have been characterized, clinical trials can be conducted to directly ascertain whether increasing vegetable and fruit intakes will reduce CVD risks. One such trial, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, demonstrated large reductions in blood pressure in association with either of two diets that were high in vegetables and fruit. The broader evidence also confirms that health effects, when observed across a variety of outcomes, are consistently in a protective direction. This evidence eliminates any concern that recommending increased consumption to prevent cancer would elevate the risks of some other condition.

When the 5 A Day Program was first developed, the recommendation to consume at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day was supported by a diverse and convincing body of evidence. No subsequent finding has contradicted this conclusion. Indeed, since the start of the 5 A Day Program, further evidence has accumulated to support the hypothesis that a diet rich in vegetables and fruit reduces the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Specifically, the evidence for an inverse association with the risk of several epithelial cancers has been strengthened, evidence has begun to accumulate for hormone-dependent cancers, and a variety of mechanisms have emerged for the protective effect of specific constituents in vege tables and fruit, not only in animal studies, but also in humans.

Although evidence also has emerged for a role of vegetables and fruit in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes, the most impressive body of evidence exists for protection against cancer. The recommended 5 servings of vegetables and fruit a day is a minimum rather than a maximum target for consumption, and any increase above current levels of consumption is to be encouraged for individuals and population.