Cancer does not discriminate between male, female, young, old, rich, poor, illiterate or PhDs. No one or group has been spared.

• ~ Since 1990, 5 million people have died from cancer.
• ~ Approximately 1.3 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year alone.
• ~ Men have a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer.
• ~ Women have a 1 in 3 lifetime risk of developing cancer.
• ~ Cancer is the second leading cause of death; heart disease is the first.
• ~ One of every four deaths is from cancer.
• ~ Approximately 8 million Americans alive today have a history of cancer. Some can be considered cured, even if their cancer returns after 5 years. Others still have cancer.
• ~ The overall annual costs for cancer equal $107 billion; $37 billion of that amount accounts for direct medical costs. Treatment of breast, lung and prostate cancers account for more than half of the direct medical costs.

The American Cancer Society states that up to 40% of all cancers can be prevented.

Stimulate cell differentiation and stop cell division.
The term differentiation refers to the process by which a cell in the body becomes mature and gains all of the features that it needs to work properly. Cancer cells divide, ignoring all signals to stop, and they do not differentiate properly. A compound in fruits and vegetables, such as carotenoid-derived vitamin A, that encourages a cell to differentiate will interfere with the process of uncontrolled abnormal division typical of cancer cells.

Act as antioxidants. Free molecules of oxygen within cells, also known as free radicals, can cause damage to cells. Free radicals are produced by the cell as natural by-products of normal cell activities, or in response to harmful contact with something in its environment. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, are compounds that absorb free radicals.

Increase activity of detoxifying enzymes. Sometimes cells are exposed to cancer-causing compounds called carcinogens. The body uses enzymes to make these chemicals harmless (detoxify them). An enzyme is a protein produced by living cells that begins or speeds-up a chemical reaction in the body without being permanently changed itself. Some chemicals in fruits and vegetables, such as dithiolthiones in broccoli, have been shown to increase the activity of detoxifying enzymes in the body.

Enhance immune function. The consumption of fruits and vegetables may strengthen the immune system, which is the body's defense against disease and cancer.

As much as 30% of breast cancer risk has been linked to the way we eat. Dietary changes to eat more fruits and vegetables may provide women with an easy way to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.

People who eat 5 servings a day have HALF the risk of developing cancer as those who eat only 1-2 servings a day?

A Harvard study of over 80,000 female nurses found that the long term risk-reducing benefits of a high folate intake rested mainly in women who supplemented their diets with a multivitamin containing folic acid. Folate can be found in dark leafy green vegetables.

"IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD PREVENTION, HOW WILL YOU AFFORD DISEASE"?

DIABETES & Fruits & Vegetables

As a group of foods, fruits and vegetables are proving to be some of the most healthful eating choices we can make. The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend plant foods to be the basis of a healthy diet. They are free of cholesterol, low in saturated fats, contain the essential fats required for good health, are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are also packed with hundreds of "phytochemicals” that scientists are discovering are protective against many diseases.

Fruits and vegetables can be protective against:

Diabetes. Unprocessed fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fiber and low in calories, just the combination needed to help reduce the risk for diabetes. One study showed that healthy eating along with daily physical activity reduced the risk of diabetes by 58% in a large group of overweight, diabetes-prone individuals. PureEssentials Fruits & Vegetables (A Whole Food Product) have all the nutrients and fiber without the sugar and salt.

For optimum health

Eat a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables including dark leafy greens and bright yellow and red fruits and vegetables. Eat at least 5 servings per day (5 to 9 are recommended).

Fruits and vegetables are also high in many "phytochemicals" and antioxidants. One recent study2 looked at the levels of vitamin C in the blood and found that those people who ate the most fruits and vegetables (the primary source of vitamin C) had a 50% reduction in mortality from any cause. The researchers estimated that for every one-serving increase of fruits and vegetables, the risk for cancer dropped 15%, the risk for cardiovascular disease by 30% and the risk for death from any cause by 20%. These are remarkable decreases in mortality from just eating more fruits and vegetables!

Why eat your... broccoli?

Many people are aware that nutrition experts recommend eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A prolific body of evidence links produce intake to everything from lower blood pressure to a reduced risk of cancer and better vision. Fruits and vegetables also add fiber, vitamins, minerals and potentially valuable plant compounds like antioxidants to the diet. And as an extra bonus, fruits and vegetables also add flavor, variety, and texture to meals at a generally low calorie cost. In fact, non-starchy vegetables contain roughly only 25 calories per half-cup serving; a serving of fruit averages only about 60 calories.

Eating Fruits and Vegetables Year-Round is a Key to Staying Healthy

You know the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. During the summertime it's easy-- a salad is perfect when it's too hot to cook, or along with that grilled burger you eat an ear of corn, tomato slices, and watermelon for dessert. But by winter the only vegetables on your plate are potatoes.

If this sounds familiar you may not be getting all the protective benefits that produce can provide against disease. A recent study in Public Health Nutrition points out that maintaining fruit and vegetable intake throughout the year is something that everyone needs do to reduce their risk of disease.

A seven-year study included men and women, ages 35 to 75, who reported their usual intakes of fruits and salad vegetables, such as leafy greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers, during the summer and winter months. The researchers analyzed this information and found that fruit and vegetable consumption appeared to provide protection from heart disease in women, particularly in those who ate the most salad vegetables year-round. In men, consistent consumption of fruits and vegetables in both winter and summer also offered the most benefit; men who ate salad vegetables year-round were less likely than other men to suffer from heart disease and cancer.

The findings of this study are consistent with many others: eating fruits and vegetables plays a significant role in disease risk reduction. And consistency appears to be the key, since people who make the effort to eat a produce-rich diet on a regular basis are healthier than people who wait for summer season fruits and vegetables to add variety to their diets.

The problem with today's food supply is that farmland soil is depleted of minerals and most of the food we eat is highly processed. The more you heat and process food, the more enzymes, vitamins and minerals are lost. Thus, it's virtually impossible to get all the nutrition you need from today's food supply. It is very clear that we need to take nutritional supplements in today's modern world.

Source: Tufts University
August 24, 2000 (Reviewed: December 13, 2002)
Source: Seasonal consumption of salad vegetables and fresh fruit in relation to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. BD. Cox, et al., Public Health Nutrition, 2000, vol. 3, pp. 19—29Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000

"Use plant foods as the foundation of your meals.
Eating a variety of grains (especially whole-grain foods), fruits, and vegetables is the basis of healthy eating."