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Eating mix of fruits, veggies may cut lung cancer risk  

Now a new study, published this week in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, finds that eating a diverse diet of veggies and fruit can decrease your risk of developing lung cancer, especially if you are a smoker.

Scientists from The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands, used data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study and focused on the 452,187 participants' health information. Of these participants, 1,613 had a diagnosis of lung cancer.

Researchers compared participants' diets and noted their consumption of fruit and vegetables, which came in a variety of fresh, canned or dried products. Previous studies had shown that the quantity of vegetables and fruits an individual consumed could decrease risk of lung cancer, in particular the risk of one specific type of lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. The new studies found that regardless of the amount, the risk of lung cancer also decreased when a variety of vegetables and fruits were consumed. In addition, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma, which is common in smokers, decreased substantially when a variety of fruit and vegetables were eaten.

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