Beware of false and/or misleading health statements

[Villages PL]

VPL: There's a certain radio talk-show host who has been known to make misleading statements about food and how it affects health. Today he said there was a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) OR (AICR) and cancer research doctors concluded that fruits and vegetables won't/can't/don't prevent cancer. And he proceeded to ridicule all those who might think otherwise.

I decided to go to the AACR website and found the following statement: "Phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables protect our bodies' cells from damage that can lead to diseases later in life, including cancer."

Unfortunately, he's not the only one spreading misleading or false information. About 10 days ago I heard a brief mention of it on the morning news.

Has anyone else heard of this?

The well known radio-talk-show-host that I referred to above had someting very interesting to say about himself on the 28th and 29th of April. On the 28th., he commented that he has had a cold for a month that he has been unable to get rid of. Then the next day he stated that he had a bad cold in the 90s that lasted six months.

The above statements come from a "meat & potatoes man" who has often expressed a great dislike/annoyance with healthy fruits and vegetables. Now we see evidence of a severely compromised immune system with his inability to shake the common cold for long periods of time. One will not likely build a healthy immune system by eating a high (animal) protein diet where the main vegetable consists of potatoes slathered in butter and/or gravy.

[tippyclubb]

Yes, I have heard this information. I also believe eating fruits and vegetables will not prevent cancer. My father-in-law was a vegetarian the last 40 years of his life and died at 75 full of cancer.

[blueash]

Is it possible that either you misheard the radio as there was a very recent report saying exactly what you heard but from a different source, The American Institute for Cancer Research published in 2014. Here is the summary:

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) current dietary recommendations for cancer prevention include “eating at least five portions/servings of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and or fruits every day”. The most recent report coordinated by WCRF/AICR (2007) concluded that the evidence of a protective effect of fruits and vegetables on cancer was either “probable”—mouth, pharynx and larynx, oesophagus stomach, lung- or “limited suggestive”—nasopharynx, lung, colorectum, ovary, endometrium, pancreas, liver-. In a previous report published by WCRF/AICR in 1997, the evidence of the association of fruits and vegetables with cancer risk was considered convincing. This judgement was based mainly on the results of case-control studies. The association of fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancer was re-examined in the Continuous Update Project (CUP) and the results were quantitatively summarised in meta-analyses. The CUP, with more data available, has confirmed the conclusion of the WCRF/AICR second expert report that there is no convincing evidence that fruits and vegetables play a role on cancer aetiology. On the other hand, evidence that is more consistent has been collected in the CUP about the role of dietary fibre and colorectal cancer. The evidence on the role of dietary fibre in colorectal cancer aetiology has been recently upgraded by the CUP expert panel from probable to convincing

[Villages PL]

Is it possible that either you misheard the radio as there was a very recent report saying exactly what you heard but from a different source, The American Institute for Cancer Research published in 2014. Here is the summary:

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) current dietary recommendations for cancer prevention include “eating at least five portions/servings of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and or fruits every day”. The most recent report coordinated by WCRF/AICR (2007) concluded that the evidence of a protective effect of fruits and vegetables on cancer was either “probable”—mouth, pharynx and larynx, oesophagus stomach, lung- or “limited suggestive”—nasopharynx, lung, colorectum, ovary, endometrium, pancreas, liver-. In a previous report published by WCRF/AICR in 1997, the evidence of the association of fruits and vegetables with cancer risk was considered convincing. This judgement was based mainly on the results of case-control studies. The association of fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancer was re-examined in the Continuous Update Project (CUP) and the results were quantitatively summarised in meta-analyses. The CUP, with more data available, has confirmed the conclusion of the WCRF/AICR second expert report that there is no convincing evidence that fruits and vegetables play a role on cancer aetiology. On the other hand, evidence that is more consistent has been collected in the CUP about the role of dietary fibre and colorectal cancer. The evidence on the role of dietary fibre in colorectal cancer aetiology has been recently upgraded by the CUP expert panel from probable to convincing

Thanks, it's possible that it may be the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) instead of the AACR. But if you go to the AICR website, they also have very positive statements about the preventive effects of fruits and vegetables, as follows: "....strong evidence does show that a diet filled with a variety of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans helps lower risk for many cancers.......evidence suggests it is the synergy of compounds working together in the overall diet that offers the strongest cancer protection.

I said the statments about "fruits and vegetables" were misleading and now I understand why. You can't just look at fruits and vegetables in a vacuum. As stated above, it is the synergy of compounds working together in the overall diet that offers the strongest cancer protection.

The American diet, even with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, is generally a poor diet. Five servings of fruits and vegetables will help but won't make up for all the many processed foods that the average American eats. And being overweight is part of it too. You can't separate these things or they will ruin the study.

The author of "The China Study" calls it "reductionism" when research scientists test one or two things at a time with insufficient regard for the overall diet or the overall lifestyle. The results of such studies are often flawed and misleading. Then we end up with talk show hosts and others who try to use these studies to reinforce their biases against healthy foods.

[Villages PL]

To get the latest information on the radio-talk-show-host that I referred to in my opening post, go back and read my opening post. You will see it there under the quote. Thanks, I think you will find it interesting.