Experts Spot Hottest Food Trend of 2001: Growing National Focus on Vegetables, Fruits

American Institute for Cancer Research
Friday, 15 December 2000

Single New Year's Resolution Can Offer Numerous Health Benefits

Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) predict that the year 2001 will see an ever-greater reliance on vegetables and fruits in the nation's homes, restaurants and food markets, mirroring the newfound prominence these foods are enjoying in public health policy.

A series of recent events has set the stage for this shift in American eating patterns.

1. Heart experts joined cancer experts in placing consumption of fruits and vegetables first on lists of dietary guidelines for prevention.

2. The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans were revised to lend added emphasis to vegetable and fruit consumption.

3. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reviewed the 5 A Day Program - which encourages Americans to consume five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables - and called for its expansion.

4. The USDA announced that it will release a report on the health effects of popular high-protein diets in early January 2001. The report, which many expect to be highly critical of "fad" diets, will likely redirect the nation's attention to diets high in vegetables and fruits.

"Driven by mounting scientific evidence, the national health organizations have retooled their dietary advice by putting fruits and vegetables front and center, where they belong," said Melanie Polk, R.D., Director of Nutrition Education at AICR. "At the same time, a host of simple new strategies are making it easier than ever for people to take advantage of the tremendous health benefits these foods offer."

Shift in Emphasis Grows Out of Research

Recent changes have brought dietary guidelines for preventing heart disease and stroke more closely in line with those for the prevention of cancer. Scientists have known for years that these diseases are influenced by many of the same dietary and lifestyle factors. Over the last few years, however, new findings in disease research have driven health organizations to recast their advice, giving new focus to the role of vegetables and fruits in lowering disease risk.

"We have reached an important milestone," said Polk. "Today, for the first time, those wishing to lower their risk for the world's three most pervasive and deadly diseases - heart disease, stroke and cancer - are hearing a single, clear message. The crux of that message is the tremendous disease-fighting potential of diets high in fruits and vegetables."

Polk pointed out that the different sets of prevention guidelines have evolved in similar fashion. For years, both AICR and the American Heart Association (AHA) led off their Dietary Guidelines with specific advice about the precise percentage of fat that Americans should include in their diets, along with admonitions to reduce salt and alcohol intake. But as research continued, scientists began to suspect that demonizing specific foods was not enough, and that effective disease prevention demanded a more comprehensive approach.

Today, warnings about excessive consumption of fat, salt and alcohol remain, but they have been placed in a larger context that spotlights positive overall choices about diet and lifestyle. "After all," Polk said, "healthy diets come with an inevitable bonus: they tend to be lower in fat and salt. That's because meals built around fruits and vegetables effectively push less nutritious foods to the side."

For AICR, this new approach was spurred by the 1997 publication of the report, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. This AICR report examined over 4,500 international studies on the link between diet and cancer and found a "strong and consistent pattern showing that diets high in fruits and vegetables decrease the risk of many cancers, and perhaps cancer in general." Overall, in fact, 78% of the studies on the connection of vegetable and/or fruit consumption upon cancer risk showed that higher intake of these foods significantly lowered risk.

According to an AHA Scientific Statement that appeared in the October 31, 2000 issue of the journal Circulation, mounting scientific evidence also drove the American Heart Association's decision to re-tool its own Dietary Guidelines. Like those of AICR, the new AHA Guidelines replace restrictive past advice about calculating daily fat percentages with a more positive overall message to eat a varied and healthy diet that features plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Government Health Organizations Get into the Act

Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave vegetables and fruits greater prominence in the latest version of their Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A previous USDA guideline that combined advice to eat plenty of vegetables and fruit with advice to consume a variety of grain products was broken into two separate and distinct guidelines in an attempt to draw added attention to each of these foods.

In January 2001, the USDA is also scheduled to release a report on the effects of high-protein diets upon long-term health. This report, an analysis of results from numerous studies, is expected to be highly critical of "fad" diets that recommend increased consumption of animal protein at the expense of foods featuring vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.

Even the popular 5 A Day Program is now hearing from researchers who say that its efforts need to be greatly expanded. The program, which is co-sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF), encourages the public to eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables. At a November 17 meeting, Dr. John Potter of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center presented NCI with a list of recommendations on behalf of the 11-member review panel that he chaired.

Potter urged NCI to "continue, strengthen and expand" its efforts to increase consumption of vegetables and fruits in America, citing the numerous health benefits seen in the scientific literature. He specifically advised that NCI increase its cooperation with other governmental, scientific and industrial groups and place a particular emphasis for greater vegetable and fruit consumption among high-risk and underserved communities.

New Approach Makes Featuring Vegetables and Fruits Easier Than Ever

In many ways, says Melanie Polk, these moves by the nation's health organizations are simply following the direction set by the American people. "Americans are always on the lookout for ways to enjoy flavor, variety and satisfaction without sacrificing health," she says. "And that, of course, is exactly what meals featuring vegetables and fruits deliver."

Now that fruits and vegetables are moving into the center of the national spotlight, Polk predicts they are here to stay. "If the tremendous public response to AICR's latest educational program is any indication, Americans are eager to learn how to translate healthy advice about fruits and vegetables into delicious everyday meals," she said.

Polk is referring to an AICR program called the New American Plate. Launched in September, this approach recommends that at least two-thirds of a person's plate feature vegetables and fruits, whole grains and beans. At the same time, it calls on individuals to assess and modify the size of the portions they typically consume. Polk says that the New American Plate offers a host of transition tips and recipe ideas that combine advice for disease prevention with advice for weight management in a direct, effective way.

Since its launch only four months ago, the New American Plate program has been featured in numerous national and local TV and radio news broadcasts, and has appeared in over 325 newspapers across the country. At this writing, over 36,000 individual requests have poured into the Institute for the brochure and related materials. "Obviously, something's going on here," says Polk. "When it comes to vegetables and fruits, the public and the policy makers are on the same wavelength."

One Resolution, Many Dividends

In light of these many recent events, Polk says that anyone still trying to decide upon a perfect New Year's Resolution should think about moving vegetables and fruits to the center of the plate.

"Simply by giving greater emphasis to vegetables and fruit, a person can accomplish many health goals at once," says Polk. "Diets rich in these foods help decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. They also enhance overall health by providing plenty of vitamins and minerals while pushing foods higher in fat and calories to the side.

"As a result, such diets make it easier to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces the risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases like Type II diabetes. Finally, healthy diets high in vegetables and fruit afford limitless opportunities for the satisfying mix of flavors, textures and colors that Americans demand."

A free copy of AICR's New American Plate brochure is available by calling 1-800-843-8114, ext. 30, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time. The brochure can also be ordered by sending a 66¢ SASE to: The New American Plate, American Institute for Cancer Research, 1759 R Street NW, PO Box 97167, Washington, DC, 20009-7167, or by visiting the Institute's website: www.aicr.org

For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org