Do you want one? New research is strengthening evidence that following mom's admonition to eat your vegetables may be some of the best health advice around. A large study of 500,000 American retirees has found that just one extra serving of fruit or vegetables a day may reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer. Numerous studies have demonstrated that diet plays a role in cancer. Cancer experts now believe that up to two-thirds of all cancers come from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and lack of exercise. "It may not sound like news that vegetables protect from cancer, but there is actually some controversy in the literature. It is important that we do these large studies," said Dr. Alan Kristal, associate head of the cancer prevention program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute queried men and women aged 50 and older about their diets, then followed participants for five years to record all diagnoses of head and neck cancer, which is the sixth-leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol use increase the risk of head and neck cancers, which affect the mouth, nose, sinuses and throat. The study found eating six servings of fruit and vegetables per day per 1,000 calories cut the risk of head and neck cancer by 29 percent compared to eating one and a half servings. The typical adult consumes around 2,000 calories a day. "Increasing consumption by just one serving of fruit or vegetables per 1,000 calories per day was associated with a 6 percent reduction in head and neck cancer risk, said Neal Freedman, cancer prevention fellow at the NCI. A second study of food consumption in more than 183,000 residents of California and Hawaii found that a diet high in flavonols might help reduce pancreatic cancer risk, especially in smokers. Flavonols are common in plant-based foods but are found in highest concentrations in onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli. The study found that people who ate the largest amounts of flavonols had a 23 percent reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the least. (Reuters)

一项最新调查进一步证明，“听妈妈的话，多吃蔬菜”可能是最有益健康的建议之一。 一项对美国50万名退休人员进行的大规模调查显示，每天多吃一份水果或蔬菜可能会降低头颈癌的发病率。 大量研究证明，饮食与癌症有着密切联系。癌症专家认为，多达三分之二的癌症是由吸烟、节食和缺乏锻炼等不良生活方式造成的。 西雅图佛瑞德·哈金森癌症研究中心癌症预防小组副组长艾伦·克莱斯托博士说：“这并不能说明蔬菜可以预防癌症，但是由于现有的研究结果说法不一，所以我们有必要做这些大规模的研究。” 美国国家癌症研究所的研究员向50岁及50岁以上的男性和女性询问了他们的饮食习惯，随后又对他们进行了五年的跟踪调查，记录他们在这段时间内的头颈癌发病情况。头颈癌号称世界第六大癌症。 吸烟和饮酒会增加患头颈部癌症的几率，这种癌症主要会损害嘴、鼻子、鼻窦和喉咙。 研究发现，与每天吃一份半蔬菜和水果相比，每天吃六份相当于1000卡热量的蔬菜和水果，可使头颈癌的发病率降低29%。 成年人每天约消耗2000卡的热量。 NCI的癌症预防专家尼尔o弗里德曼说，"每天多吃一份1000卡的水果或蔬菜就可以使头颈癌的发病率降低6%。" 另一项对18万3000多名加利福尼亚和夏威夷居民的饮食调查发现，吃黄酮醇含量高的食物可能会降低胰腺癌的发病率，尤其是对于吸烟的人。 黄酮醇是植物类食物中的常见物质，在洋葱、苹果、浆果、羽衣甘蓝和西兰花中含量最高。 研究发现，摄入黄酮醇最多的人比摄入黄酮醇最少的人患胰腺癌的几率低23%。 （实行生江巍 英语点津姗姗编辑）