A HEALTHY DIET REDUCES THE RISK OF CANCER

A large amount of research that has been conducted on the health benefits of fruit and vegetables has shown that the foods with the highest levels of phenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, coumarins, and tannins) offered the most protection from chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The following research found that “Among the 11 common fruits consumed in the United States, cranberry has the highest total phenolic content, followed by apple, red grape, strawberry, pineapple, banana, peach, lemon, orange, pear, and grapefruit (1). Among the 10 common vegetables consumed in the United States, broccoli possesses the highest total phenolic content, followed by spinach, yellow onion, red pepper, carrot, cabbage, potato, lettuce, celery, and cucumber (2). It is estimated that flavonoids account for approximately two-thirds of the phenolics in our diet and the remaining one-third are from phenolic acids” (Liu 2004).

This confirms that the more variety of fruit and vegetables we consume on a regular basis, the less chance we have of developing chronic diseases. While fresh, organic food consumption is ideal, high-quality antioxidant supplementation to complement the daily diet may also help reduce disease risk.

Helping you achieve optimal wellness, hormonal balance and disease prevention with personalised, professional naturopathic health care, clinical pathology testing and individually-prescribed high-quality herbal medicines and supplements 

Sar Rooney is a local, world renowned Naturopathic Medicine practitioner specialising in Anxiety and Depression |Women’s Health| Natural Hormonal Balance | Thyroid Disorders | Digestive Health | Optimal Wellness & Disease Prevention 

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Source: Liu RH. Potential Synergy of Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention: Mechanism of Action. J. Nutr. December 1, 2004 vol. 134 no. 12 3479S-3485S.

References
1. Sun, J., Chu, Y.-F., Wu, X. & Liu, R. H. (2002) Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of fruits. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50:7449-7454.
2. Chu, Y.-F., Sun, J., Wu, X. & Liu, R. H. (2002) Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of vegetables. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50:6910-6916.