Fruit and veg offer 'limited protection' against cancer

April 9, 2010

There is no evidence a healthy diet can prevent people developing cancer, a

Nobel-winning scientist has warned.

Sir Tim Hunt said eating healthy foods could only provide a modest reduction in

the risk of developing the disease.

He said the two " most terrible " cancer-causing poisons in the environment were

air and water.

The scientist made his comments in a keynote address at the Association for

International Cancer Research (AICR) conference in Fife.

Sir Tim, a principal scientist with Cancer Research UK, said there was no

evidence from studies that diet could prevent cancer.

He agreed with recent research which found eating the recommended " five-a-day "

will only provide limited protection in preventing the disease.

He pointed out anything which damages chromosomes or attacks DNA can cause

cancer.

" The two most terrible poisons in the environment causing cancer are air and

water, " he said.

" If you stopped breathing, you wouldn't get cancer, but you have to breathe to

stay alive.

" It is the air itself, not any pollutants in it, and water which are constantly

attacking our DNA. "

The old adage of " a little of what you fancy " should not be discounted, he

suggested.

Rare disease

But he warned that prevention is better than cure when it comes to the health

risks associated with tobacco use.

" Lung cancer was a very rare disease before people started smoking, " he said.

In the lecture entitled The Truth About Cancer, Sir Tim also stated there are

still " very basic things " which are not understood about cancer.

He said: " There is a marked difference in applying knowledge you already have to

obtaining new knowledge.

" It is manifestly clear we can't apply the knowledge we have to curing cancer

because people are still dying from it. "

About 200 researchers from 28 different countries are attending the AICR's 30th

anniversary conference in St s this week.

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