The reds, the blues or the greens?
Today my eye was caught by a very attractive photograph of berries in an article in the Daily Telegraph, telling us: ‘If it’s purple, black or blue – eat it.’
Although the article says ‘no one is suggesting that we ditch all the rest of the fruit and veg, it’s just that simply eating your greens [isn’t enough]', it’s easy to see how a member of the public could be misled when it goes on to present a week’s worth of menus based almost entirely on these colours of fruit and veg.
This is just one amidst a flurry of articles on a recent laboratory study that shows the possible power of the natural pigment in red, purple and blue foods, such as radishes and aubergines. Rich in anthocyanins, the pigment in these foods has been shown to slow the growth of colon cancer cells in the test tube.
Yesterday, again in the Daily Telegraph, Dr Greg Martin, Head of Science and Research at the World Cancer Research Fund, presented a balanced view about the new research. His letter quite rightly suggested ‘before we all throw away our greens and rush out to stock up on aubergines and red cabbage, we should remember it is only one study’.
I have blogged before on the potential confusion that can be caused by the constant and often simplistic reporting of scientific research; the effect of which can be to undermine official advice on diet and health.
In this case, the straightforward advice is to eat a variety of fruit and veg every day rather than supporting just the reds or the blues, or even the greens – healthy eating shouldn’t be about taking sides.
