Monday, September 6, 2010

Variety of vegetables is key to reducing lung cancer risk

A new European study shows that not just
quantity of vegetables, but variety matter
in reducing non-small call lung cancer risk.
(Photo courtesy UN Development Programme



PHILADELPHIA – (Cancer Digest) – Eating vegetables may help reduce the chance of getting lung cancer. And adding a variety of fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of a particular type of non-small cell lung cancer called squamous cell lung cancer, especially among smokers, say researchers.

Led by Dr. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, senior scientist and project director of cancer epidemiology at The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands, the researchers published their results in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

“Although quitting smoking is the most important preventive action in reducing lung cancer risk, consuming a mix of different types of fruits and vegetables may also reduce risk, independent of the amount, especially among smokers,” Bueno-de-Mesquita said in a prepared statement.