MY Fruit and Veggies!
Are your patients/clients getting
enough?
Vegetables
and fruit reduce the risk of cancer
There has never been a better time to encourage your patients/clients
to eat more servings of vegetables and fruit each day. A
new landmark report - the most comprehensive review of diet and cancer
research from a global perspective - was recently completed. An expert
panel of 15 of the world's leading researchers in diet and cancer reviewed
more than 4,500 studies. The consistency and strength of the evidence
was overwhelming. A diet high in vegetables and fruit is associated with
a lower risk of cancers at almost all sites.
Vegetables
and fruit reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
The relationship between heart disease, stroke and diet has changed considerably
over the past two decades. Reducing the amount and type of fat in the
diet is only part of the answer. Current research such as a recent review
by the Cambridge Institute of
Public Health concludes that eating vegetables and fruit also provides
significant protection against heart disease and stroke.
How
vegetables and fruit reduce the risk of disease
Vegetables and fruit appear to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease
and stroke by providing protective substances such as vitamins, minerals,
and fibre, as well as plant compounds called phytochemicals. For example,
protective substances in vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk
of cancer by stopping normal cells from changing into cancerous cells.
They may reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing a critical step
in the development of diseased arteries - oxygen damage (oxidation) to
LDL cholesterol. In addition, people who fill up on vegetables and fruit
may not be as hungry for less healthy foods.
Understanding consumer needs
Focus groups held in six regions across Canada as far back as back as 1998* identified that most people believed they should eat only 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. They were overwhelmed when told the recommended amount was 5 to 10 servings – as was outlined in Canada's Food Guide. As evidenced then, most people felt this number was achievable, once they understood what an actual serving size was. People were and assuredly still are very interested in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease and are amazed that vegetables and fruit provide such an easy and natural means to do so.
*Focus Groups Conducted BY GPC Communications Group.
Click here for this report.
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5 to 10 a day and MY Fruit and Veggies campaign materials. |
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