Posts Tagged “cancer prevention”
ELGIN, MN – Honeybear Brands, a leading grower, marketer and developer of premium conventional and organic apples, pears and cherries, is urging retailers to remind shoppers to eat more fiber rich apples this March, in an effort to help them reduce their risk of certain cancers.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S. and the risk is growing in younger adults. In fact, the number of people under 55 who’ve been newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer has nearly doubled since 1995. As a result, the American Cancer Society has issued new recommendations for people to start regular screening at age 45 rather than 50.
What’s increasing the risk? Experts point to the American diet — processed food, low-fiber, high-fat meals. But a high-fiber diet is a significant preventative measure against colon cancer. Apples are a powerhouse of fiber, thanks to their skin, and are packed with phytochemicals — such as flavonoids and polyphenols — that may help fight certain cancers.
“As younger adults see their risk for this disease increase, we want to encourage them to add more fiber to their daily diets. Apples are an easy way to do this. A portable snack, or an easy ingredient in a meal, apples are within reach and very affordable,” said Kristi Harris, Marketing Director, Honeybear Brands, in a recent press release.
Honeybear Brands is supporting this Colorectal Cancer education effort at retail, offering point of sale promotional materials featuring the recognized blue ribbon this March.
“We want to trigger that connection for shoppers looking to make informed choices at store level and the blue ribbon symbolizes the importance of gut health,” said Harris.
The company is also working with My Food Gal, a food blogger on a social media campaign to inspire consumers to follow her easy, high fiber recipe that features the delicious combination of apples, oats and peanut butter.
by The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
Given the forecast and coinciding with the recent World Day against Cancer, the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) wants to share some facts that can help us live a healthier life and may help prevent this disease.
According to a recent study run by Harvard University, which analyzed over 100,000 people over 30 years, nut consumption was inversely associated with total mortality by over 20%, disregarding the cause, and had an inverse relationship with some of the most common causes of death, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This study, the largest ever conducted investigating the effect of nut intake on mortality, concluded that participants who ate a daily handful of nuts reduced the chance of mortality due to cancer by 11%, compared to those who didn’t consume any nuts. Dr. Ying Bao concluded that “nut consumption was inversely associated with mortality, independently of other risk factors”.
In another study also run by Dr. Bao called “Nut consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer in women”, it was revealed that frequent nut consumption is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in women, independent of other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
Besides nuts, dried fruits are also suggested for cancer prevention, as they are as healthy as their fresh equivalent and high in polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants that may protect DNA against damage, decrease inflammation and prevent cancer.
Properties and Benefits
A number of scientific studies have demonstrated the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. All these benefits are attributed to the multiple components that these products have, such as vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, arginine, plant sterols and phytochemical compounds. Furthermore, they have a low content of saturated fatty acids, among others.
About the INC
The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) groups nearly 700 companies of the nut and dried fruit sector from over 70 countries. INC is the international organization of reference as regards nuts and dried fruits, health, nutrition, food safety, statistics, international standards and regulations.