You are Safe to Eat Fruit and Vegetables. No Basis for Over-interpretating scientific study

December 23, 2003

An observational study of 400 women having breast cancer compared with 400 women not having breast cancer has shown, that there is increased risk of Vitamin C intake by eating fruit and vegetables compared with Vitamin C intake by taking dietary supplements.

When we think about it a little bit, we know that it is healthy to eat fruit and vegetables, and so in the name of decency you have to check out such a study carefully.

The authors themselves write quite sensibly that its result is contrary to previous scientific studies about this and that it needs to be investigated further. – Fair enough.

However, the Danish Cancer Society writes on its website a recommendation that goes far beyond what can reasonably be deduced from this study. They even write that one should not take vitamin C as a dietary supplement, even though it is quite harmless according to this study, where it is definitely the dietary vitamin C content that is risky.

Previous studies from the same research group have similarly shown that both fish *2) and fruit and vegetables *3) increase the risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer.

When researchers come to a result that contradicts previous research in the field, it is very important not to rush out and scare the public away from consuming a diet or supplement that they (according to previous research) are consuming for health reasons. It is important that such results are reliable before one can base their advice to the public on it.

So far, thousands of research results have shown that fruits and vegetables, as well as several of the well-known dietary supplements, have major health benefits. This has also been highlighted by the Danish Nutrition Council in its advice.

The population should not be frightened on the basis of a single observational study, which is fraught with so much uncertainty as is the case here.

By: Vitality Council

References:
1. Intake of vitamins A, C and E from diet and supplements and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Cancer Causes and Control 2003;14:695-704. Oct. 2003.
2. Fish intake is positively associated with breast cancer incidence rate. J. Nutrition 2003;133:3664-3669. Nov. 2003.
3. Fruits and vegetable intake differentially affects estrogen receptor negative and positive breast cancer incidence rates. J. Nutrition 2003;133:2342-2347. July 2003.

www.cancer.dk
www.iom.dk