Australian researchers claim eating a wedge of watermelon or having an extra tomato could halve the risk of developing prostate cancer.
A new study by scientists at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, has shown eating yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk by up to 50 per cent.
The study looked at 404 Chinese subjects in Hangzhou, China, some of whom had developed prostate cancer and others who had not, and comparisons were then made between the two groups according to diet and lifestyle.
Professor Colin Binns said: “We recommend eating more yellow, orange and red vegetables and fruit, as well as dark green vegetables such as spinach, because the risk of prostate cancer declines with increased consumption of the lycopene and other carotenoids found in them.
“We recommend eating two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day.”
The study contradicts recent findings by US researchers, which claimed to find no link between eating fruit and veg and reducing the risk of cancer.
The research, carried out by the Harvard School of Public Heath, said it discovered evidence to suggest eating five portions of fruit and veg would help reduce the risk of developing a major chronic illness, such as heart disease, but there was no clear advantage when it came to cancer.
