ROLE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETABLES AND FRUIT IN THE PREVENTION OF CANCER OF THE COLON, RECTUM, AND BEAST

We compared the effect of 26 types or groups of vegetables and fruit o n the risk of cancer using data from two case-control studies that inc luded 1,225 cases of canter of the colon, 728 cases of cancer of the r ectum, 2,569 cases of cancer of the breast, and 5,155 hospital control s interviewed between 1991 and 1996 in six Italian areas. Most vegetab les were inversely associated with cancer of the colon and rectum, whe reas only carrots and raw vegetables lowered breast cancer risk. High fruit intake was associated only with a reduction of rectal cancer. Di fferent contents of sugar, fiber, carotenoids, and folic acid in fruit s us vegetables plus the concurrent consumption of oil with vegetables may partly explain these finding.