Fruit and Vegetables - A rainbow of health

Good Health Blog

Author: Sam Silvester

What's Eating You on BBC Berkshire April 2010

Apparently according to the recent press, you don't have to eat those five portions of fruit and vegetables every day in order to ward off cancer!!!! Researchers have discovered that the advice of every government has, all along, been wrong!!! The beneficial effect is modest, say researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, after they profiled the lifestyles of 500,000 participants around Europe.

But... Cancer isn't one disease, it's around 200. And not all fruits and vegetables are created equal as cancer fighters; some, such as broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, and berries, are very effective, some are ineffective. And if they're not fresh, if they've been plastered with pesticides, and then if they are boiled beyond recognition, any health-giving qualities that the vegetables and fruits might once have had have been reduced to almost zero.

But did the researchers actually ask these questions? I suppose not, so it's back to the burgers and fries for those who never stopped eating them in the first place, and those healthy people who enjoy the benefits of at least five day – improved skin, bowels, heart, eyes, immunity, etc – will continue eating them, irrespective of the latest media quirk. As I explained in my recent slot on BBC Berkshire, certainly eating a wide range of brightly coloured vegetables and fruits will give a better balance of nutrients, especially dark berries, red fruits and vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes, and dark green vegetables such as kale and spinach.

In our quest to obtain our five a day, we must not forget other healthy foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds, herbs such as parsley and basil, brown rice, porridge, pulses in the form of humus, olive oil, natural live yoghurt and omega 3 rich eggs.

Sam Silvester is a qualified Nutritionist who works with people to change their diet and lifestyle to reduce fat and combat stress. Contact her for an appointment or phone consultation on
07767 260374

Keep healthy - enjoy life!