74 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.The insight provided by the research is simple: As long as Amer-
icans continue to practice nutritional indifference, they will suffer
the consequences. Don't expect any significant protection from mar-
ginal changes.
Cancer Is a Fruit- and Vegetable-Deficiency Disease
Not surprisingly, fruits and vegetables are the two foods with the best
correlation with longevity in humans. Not whole-wheat bread, not
bran, not even a vegetarian diet shows as powerful a correlation as a
high level of fresh fruit and raw green salad consumption.^19 The Na-
tional Cancer Institute recently reported on 337 different studies that
all showed the same basic information:- Vegetables and fruits protect against all types of cancers if con-
sumed in large enough quantities. Hundreds of scientific stud-
ies document this. The most prevalent cancers in our country
are mostly plant-food-deficiency diseases. - Raw vegetables have the most powerful anti-cancer properties
of all foods. - Studies on the cancer-reducing effects of vitamin pills contain-
ing various nutrients (such as folate, vitamin C and E) get
mixed reviews; sometimes they show a slight benefit, but most
show no benefit. Occasionally studies show that taking iso-
lated nutrients is harmful, as was discussed earlier regarding
beta-carotene. - Beans, in general, not just soy, have additional anti-cancer
benefits against reproductive cancers, such as breast and prostate
cancer.^20
Though Americans would prefer to take a pill so they could con-
tinue eating what they are accustomed to, it won't give you the pro-
tection you are looking for. You can close the cover of this book and
put it away right now as long as you can incorporate this crucial di-
etary change into your life: consume high levels of fruits, green veg-
etables, and beans. This is the key to both weight loss and better
health. Exactly how much veggies and beans you need to eat and
how to incorporate them into your diet and make them taste great is
covered in chapter eight.