Study links fruits and vegetables to lung cancer in non-smokers, but the real culprit could be something else
The study states that young people, especially women, who consumed more fruits and vegetables, were at a higher risk of lung cancer. The researchers categorically stated that these foods are healthy, and the problem area is possibly agricultural practices.
Study links fruits and vegetables to early‑onset lung cancer
A surprising study has revealed the link between fruits and vegetables, and it is definitely not what you think. According to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC), diets rich in the above, along with grains, can increase the risk of early‑onset lung cancer. However, this finding specifically applies to younger people who have never smoked.
Researchers stress on the benefits of fruits and vegetables
But the researchers have stressed that this does not mean that fruits and vegetables cause cancer. Their benefits are well known and still outweigh any risks that are potentially linked with them. The study matters given how healthy food comprising all these has been known to prevent cancer. Medical experts have been stressing on including them in our daily diets.
Lung cancer cases increasing in non-smoking youth
The latest research looks at another aspect of fruits and vegetables. The scientists, who were part of the study, tried to understand why lung cancer cases were increasing among the youth, especially those who have never had a cigarette or smoke alternates. Women seem to be the most affected in this scenario.
Women tend to enjoy healthier diets rich in fruits, vegetables and grains
The problem area flagged in the study is the use of pesticides and broader issues with agricultural practices. They set out to understand whether environmental exposures are to blame for the increasing cases of lung cancer, especially in women, as they outnumber men when it comes to consuming healthy food. “In our study and for the US on average, women seem to have much healthier diets than men, and this might mean greater relative exposure to any contaminants that may be in whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” Nieva said, per Medical News Today.
Lung cancer in non-smokers was different
Scientists at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Centre focused on the trend of rising lung cancer diagnoses among non‑smokers under age 50, particularly women. They used data from 187 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from the Epidemiology of Young Lung Cancer Project. Women made up 78 per cent of this number. Most of them have never smoked, and their tumours differed biologically from lung cancers typically associated with smoking.
Younger non-smokers who had healthy diets were at higher risk of lung cancer
Examination of lifestyle factors revealed one major trend - Patients with early‑onset lung cancer were found to be consuming significantly more fruits, vegetables and whole grains compared to others. “Our research shows that younger non-smokers who eat a higher quantity of healthy foods than the general population are more likely to develop lung cancer,” Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist and lung cancer specialist with USC Norris and lead investigator of the study, said in a statement.
Non‑organic produce is laced with pesticides, which have been linked to cancer
Researchers say that their findings "raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer related to otherwise beneficial food that needs to be addressed." Could pesticides be to blame, as experts are sure that fruits and vegetables are not harmful? Nieva said non‑organic produce possibly carries higher pesticide residues than processed foods, dairy products or meats. Besides, pesticide exposure has been linked to a higher rate of lung cancer in agricultural workers. However, scientists have urged people not to stop consuming fruits and vegetables as they have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, and several types of cancers.
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