OK. So EPIC's study into the effect of eating your recommended five portions a day of fruit and veg has found that, contrary to the previous study, it has only 'a modest' impact on protecting against cancer. First of all, 'modest' covers a number of real people who having followed those guidelines have survived cancer. In the study of 500,000, it was found that an extra 3.5 ounces of fruit and veg a day reduced the risk of cancer by 3 percent. Which is not a lot of people, no. But still they are people, some of who might share your first name, with likes and dislikes that may match yours. You may know one.

Why is it that reports of this study seem to have been delivered in some quarters with what came across like the rubbing of satisfied hands? Even if those figures are immensely disappointing to those involved either professionally or personally with cancer, what do the  practising sceptics want? That we should give up promoting eating plenty of fruit and vegetables? These are good for us. Whatever magic they work or don't work against cancer, they do protect us against other diseases. Plus they're less calorific than most snack, fast and processed foods. And we should eat less meat to protect not only our bodies, but the beasts who live appalling lives to feed us more protein than we need.  

The news may be disappointing with relation to cancer. But eating those five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can help protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and obesity. So let's hope people don't use the study and some of the gloating coverage it has received as an excuse to give them up.

Posted on Thursday 08th April 2010 in Blog