Reported tonight on World News Tonight with Peter Jennings:

"Eating fruits and vegetables will probably not reduce the risk of getting breast cancer."

Sheesh, didn't believe it anyhow, and it no doubt doesn't affect the other cancers, either.

My ex doesn't smoke, is a jogger and a vegetarian. He had surgery last week for colon cancer.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), February 13, 2001

Answers

No Doubt that is true, if you are eating the pesticide ridden, inorganic fertilizer doused, excuses we call vegetables today. Historically, cancer was an almost non-existent problem, as was heart disease. It can't be said that no one new it existed either, because it was known about for many years before it became a problem. Kinda funny, it turning up all of a sudden like, isn't it. Mmmm, and when would that be? Gee I think it was about the time we started mainlining pesticides via foodstuffs. Oh, and have you heard that that pesticide which was sworn to be safe for years, Diazinon, has been taken off the market. Gosh, how did that happen?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), February 13, 2001.

Right on, LIl Bit! Vegetarians who partake of conventionally produced food are MORE likely to contract cancer! This is a condemnation of modern agriculture, not nature's good food.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

My son told me a few months back that Diazinon was on the hit list. He said he was glad I knew about food grade Diatomaceous Earth, 'cause eventually it's probably all that's gonna be around to take care of the insect problems.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

How's your ex doing?

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

So sorry to hear about your ex. I think we need to regard this reserach with a grain of salt. Since estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancers, perhaps the environment is contributing to this disease...hormones, pesticides. I think veggies and fruits are superior foods... we must, however, make sure that sources are organic. Research is a guide--never the end all to our problems.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), February 14, 2001.

Last I heard, the ex is doing great, thank you. With the two of us eating totally opposite (I rarely eat fruits/veggies and I'm a big meat eater), it should be interesting to see how my health goes. Thus far, I haven't had a cold/flu in about 35 years.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

Some sites for further research:

www.jama.amaassn.org (Item referred to on fruits/vegetables vs breast cancer is one of the February 2001 issues.)

www.cancer.org. (American Cancer Society)

www.eatright.org/womenshealth/breastcancer (American Dietetic Ass'n)

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

Personally I think genetics has a lot to do with cancer. We cannot document a single case of cancer in either my mother's or father's lineage. However, there is both heart disease and alcholism there.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

Well, Rogo, I'm in the cancer 'business' and know there's a lot more to it than just diet. Especially colon ca, which can be due to genetics (ever heard of familial polyposis?). I've seen lots of folks who live a good healthy lifestyle who are diagnosed with cancer of one type or another. None of us are immune. How can we blame only one thing on this dreaded, disfiguring disease, when we have been bombarded since the 40's with all manner of additives, pesticides (I was exposed with DDT spraying in Louisiana as a child, myself), herbicides, water pollution, fallout from nuclear testing, ozone depletion... oh, the list! And nothing, NOTHING we eat these days is real food! Well, I tend to be a little paranoid, but try oh so hard not to let it run my life. I do personally think breast cancer is linked to the high fat content (animal or manufactured) laced in most of our food in some way, not to mention the genetic factor, too. Heck, all we can do is be an informed consumer, I think. Good luck to you and your ex, take care of yourselves the best you can. We've managed to create all this, now we are having to live with it. debra in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), February 14, 2001.