A tiny amount of plant food offers a tiny amount of benefit.

I enjoyed reading the post at DiseaseProof about the latest research study claiming fruits and veggies offering modest protection against cancer. Here is the point that clears it all up for me:

A tiny amount of plant food offers a tiny amount of benefit.

That is not how I would have interpreted this study, but it makes perfect sense.  Even for a person who eats a diet of "everything in moderation" or a diet of nothing but take out and restaurant foods, or even "I try to eat very healthy diet" -  Still eating a little more fruits or veggies each day was shown to be a little better as far as developing disease...

Many of the news stories on this subject neglected to mention the fact that the researchers found a dose-response relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk – this means that as the number of servings increased, rates of cancer decreased. 

 So in conclusion he adds:

Most people are confused about nutrition, and results like these can add to the confusion. There is clear evidence that unrefined plant foods protect against chronic disease, but modest nutritional improvements offer only modest health benefits. Cutting back on cigarettes does not offer much protection against lung cancer either.  It is the total package of a well-designed, nutrient-dense diet, regular exercise, and a healthy weight that offers optimal benefit. We can win the war on cancer.

I just went shopping and got some lettuce, brussels sprouts, radishes, bell peppers, and my fridge is full of other fruits and vegetables including carrots, eggplant, kale, oranges, apples.  My freezer has some berries, broccoli, peas, corn.  There are so many delicious combinations one can make with all of this food.  It's also good to remember that the more we fuel our bodies with real, whole foods, the better it functions.  Here's to health!

Click here to learn more about nutrient density
More about a link to diet and getting cancer

References
i. Higdon JV et al. Cruciferous Vegetables and Human Cancer Risk: Epidemiologic Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007 March ; 55(3): 224–236
ii. Larsson SC, Hakansson N, Naslund I, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to pancreatic cancer: a prospective study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15:301–305.
iii. Zhang M, et al. Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:1404-1408
iv. Powolny AA, Singh SV. Multitargeted prevention and therapy of cancer by diallyl trisulfide and related Allium vegetable-derived organosulfur compounds. Cancer Lett. 2008 Oct 8;269(2):305-14.