An office fruit basket can help to prevent an array of minor ailments this winter, from coughs and sniffles to colds and flu.

In addition, a study by University College London found that a diet rich in fresh fruit can significantly reduce the risk of depression.

But did you know apples, oranges, bananas and pears can also help prevent cancer?

People who eat a diet rich in anti-cancer foods such as fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains, and reduce their intake of refined sugar and red meat had a 60 per cent lower chance of ever getting cancer, advised David Servan-Schreiber, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

As further proof of the cancer-fighting properties of fruit, Mr Servan-Schreiber highlights its benefits for those in whom cancer has already been diagnosed.

In a large California-based study, says Mr Servan-Schreiber, women who were treated for their cancer had a 50 per cent reduction in relapse risk if they ate five vegetables and fruits per day and practiced 30 minutes of physical activity six days a week.

"Cancer is not the ominous downhill process it has been feared to be for several decades," concludes Mr Servan-Schreiber.

"The evidence now shows that many cancer cells are perfectly well contained by our body’s natural defences, and often even disappear on their own."

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Fruit at work/ Employee benefits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.