“Fruits and Veggies Can Be a Double-Edged Sword”
Investigators are now telling us that fruits and vegetables do not dramatically lower the risk of common diseases, including cancer. But, public health guidelines for food oriented toward high vegetable and fruit consumption has been around for decades and has continued up to the present. This scenario led to the rising popularity of vitamin supplements from the 1980s until today, but there have been huge problems with these trends. Research has failed to substantiate the suggestion that as many as 50% of cancers could be prevented by boosting the public’s consumption of fruit and vegetables. It’s better to eat any fruit or vegetable than a plate of chicken wings or a big bag of Fritos. However, when you do eat fruits and veggies, be aware what’s in them—some have better nutrients than others. And some fruits are loaded with sugar. Bananas are a tasty and convenient snack and they even come in their own easy-to-peel wrapper. They’re also rich in fiber and nutrients like potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Bananas are low in fats and protein, and only contain about 105 calories.
