Effects of Fruits & Vegetables on Cancer Explored

In that an extensive body of evidence suggests that fruits and vegetables may beneficially impact colorectal cancer risk, the extent of their protective effect has been the subject of debate.  Lin Fritschi, from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (Australia), and colleagues submit that the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on colorectal cancer appear to differ by site of origin. The team investigated the link between fruit and vegetables and three cancers in different parts of the bowel: proximal colon cancer, distal colon cancer, and rectal cancer. The case-control study included 918 participants with a confirmed colorectal cancer diagnosis (and 1021 control participants with no history of the disease). The subjects completed extensive medical and nutritional questionnaires and were assigned a socioeconomic status based on their home address.  The researchers found that within the proximal and distal colon, brassica vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) were associated with decreased risk of these cancers. A lower risk of distal colon cancer was associated with eating more apples; however an increased risk for rectal cancer was found with increasing consumption of fruit juice.  Writing that: “Our results suggest that different [fruits and vegetables] may confer different risks for cancer of the proximal colon, distal colon, or rectum,” the team encourages for: “Future studies might consider taking into account the location of the tumor when examining the relation between [fruits and vegetables] consumption and risk of [colorectal cancer].”