The Alliance for Food and Farming consistently shares peer-reviewed studies which show a diet rich in fruits and veggies can improve health and reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.  Add another one to that list:  A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that women who ate more than 5.5 servings of fruit and veggies a day had an 11 percent reduced risk of breast cancer compared to the women who ate 2.5 or fewer servings each day.

This study was big and comprehensive.  Scientists analyzed health data and surveyed eating habits from more than 180,000 women over a 32-year period.

“This research provides the most complete picture of the importance of consuming high amounts of fruit and vegetables for breast cancer prevention,” says the study’s lead author,  Maryam Farvid, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

Another study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology also illustrates the power of produce.  This study found that if half of all Americans increased their fruit and veggies intake by a single serving each day, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented annually.

With only one in 10 Americans eating enough fruits and veggies per day, it is important to encourage consumption of conventional and organic produce.  Certain groups, in an attempt to promote one production method over another, resort to disparaging the more accessible and affordable produce options to the potential detriment of public health.

This detrimental effect has been illustrated in peer reviewed research that found messaging calling into question the safety of produce resulted in low income consumers stating they were less likely to purchase any produce – organic or conventionally grown.

This new Harvard study regarding cancer prevention is yet another reason groups concerned about public health should join together to carry this simple message:  “Eat more organic and conventional produce every day for better health and a longer life.  Choose what’s best for you and your family, but always choose to eat more.”