An Editorial in this week's Lancet says the 'eat 5 fruit and veg a day' message should still be promoted, despite the recent findings of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Nutrition that said the protective effect of diets rich in fruit and vegetables are not as high as previously thought.
Four reasons are given for this. First, fruit and vegetables can also protect against heart disease and troke. Secondly, despite the findings showing less of a protective effect against cancer overall, they still show a strong protective effect against specific cancers such as mouth, oesophagus, bowel, and lung cancer. Thirdly, fruit and vegetables help to maintiain a healthy bodyweight and stave of obesity, and fourth the high fibre content of such a diet a can protect against bowel cancer.
The Editorial concludes: "The five-a-day campaign is still an incredibly important public health initiative. Eating five or more fruit and vegetables a day keeps several diseases, including some cancers, at bay."
For full Editorial, see: http://press.thelancet.com/editorials1704.pdf
The Lancet