Fruit and vegetables offer 'limited protection' against cancer, says Nobel winning scientist

Sir Tim Hunt, a Nobel-winning scientist, says that fruits and vegetables offer limited protection against cancer:

There is no evidence a healthy diet can prevent people developing cancer, a Nobel-winning scientist has warned.

Sir Tim Hunt said eating healthy foods could only provide a modest reduction in the risk of developing the disease.

He said the two "most terrible" cancer-causing poisons in the environment were air and water.

The scientist made his comments in a keynote address at the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) conference in Fife.

Sir Tim, a principal scientist with Cancer Research UK, said there was no evidence from studies that diet could prevent cancer.

He agreed with recent research which found eating the recommended "five-a-day" will only provide limited protection in preventing the disease.

He pointed out anything which damages chromosomes or attacks DNA can cause cancer.

"The two most terrible poisons in the environment causing cancer are air and water," he said.

"If you stopped breathing, you wouldn't get cancer, but you have to breathe to stay alive.

"It is the air itself, not any pollutants in it, and water which are constantly attacking our DNA."
Link

So, if you're on a low-carb diet, and aren't eating as many veggies and fruits as "the experts" say you should, perhaps you can stop stressing over that. Maybe.