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HELSINKI, FINLAND. There is growing evidence that a high dietary intake of
flavonoids helps provide protection against the development of cancer. Finnish
researchers now add convincing new data to this evidence. Researchers at the
National Public Health Institute have just released the results of a major study
involving 10,000 men and women who were followed for a 24-year period. The
participants' diet was recorded for a full year and analyzed for flavonoid
content. The dietary intake of other selected nutrients and vitamins was also
analyzed. After 24 years 997 of the original 9,959 study participants had
developed cancer, of which 151 cases were lung cancer. The researchers found
that people with a high flavonoid intake (4.15 mg/day average) had a 20 per cent
reduction in their risk of cancer as compared to people with a low intake. The
risk reduction was particularly impressive in the case of lung cancer where a
high flavonoid intake reduced the risk by 46 per cent. Among non-smokers the
risk was reduced by an even more impressive 87 per cent. The researchers found
no protective effect of beta-carotene, vitamins C or E; however, the intake of
these vitamins was very low in the study population (2 mg beta-carotene, 8 mg
vitamin E, and 82 mg vitamin C were the maximum average daily intakes). The
researchers ascribe most of the protective effect to the consumption of apples.
An average daily intake of just 45.2 grams of apples reduced lung cancer risk by
58 per cent as compared to an average intake of 31.2 grams. Apples are a very
rich source of quercetin and the researchers estimate that 95 per cent of the
beneficial effects of a high flavonoid intake is provided by quercetin.
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