Eating a lot of fruit in adolescence and early adulthood could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study by health professionals in the United States.
More than 90,000 premenopausal women aged 27-44 completed a questionnaire on diet in 1991, with over 44,000 doing the same during adolescence in 1998. A follow up on 2013 revealed 3,235 cases of invasive breast cancer. Of these, 1347 cases were among women who completed a questionnaire about their diet during adolescence (ages 13-18). Total fruit consumption during adolescence was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.
For individual fruits and vegetables, greater consumption of apple, banana, and grapes during adolescence and oranges and kale during early adulthood was significantly associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Fruit juice intake in adolescence or early adulthood was not associated with risk.
