*EPF406 09/02/2004
Global Health Campaign for Fruits, Vegetables Gaining Momentum
(New medical evidence underscores importance of dietary recommendations) (510)

By M. Charlene Porter
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Nutrition, health and agriculture experts are gathered in Kobe, Japan, September 1-3 to discuss how to move forward with World Health Assembly goals adopted earlier this year to improve the world's nutritional habits, including increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations are teamed in Kobe to draw up ideas for increasing the production and availability of and access to fruits and vegetables in countries where they are not readily available.

Fruits and vegetables are receiving significant attention in the overall nutritional strategy because of their role in preventing a variety of diseases. A WHO report global health compiled in 2002 identified inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables as a contributing factor in 2.7 million deaths each year.

The FAO/WHO workshop is focusing especially on the micronutrient value of fruits and vegetables. Micronutrient deficiencies cause a number of health problems. Iodine deficiency can cause goiter, mental deficiency, fertility problems and infant deaths. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the world's most widespread health disorders, according to WHO, causing premature birth, poor cognitive development in children and elevated risk of infections.

The meeting in Japan unfolds as medical researchers provide even more evidence of the wisdom of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. A substance in vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage has been found to be effective in interrupting cell growth in late-stage breast cancer. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced the findings August 31.

The anticancer agent is called sulforaphane (SUL), and previous research had already discovered its cancer-fighting capabilities. The University of Illinois scientists pushed this knowledge a step further when they put SUL in a dish with malignant human breast cancer cells. They found that SUL actually blocked cell division and interrupted chromosomal duplication in the malignant cells.

"The findings may be helpful in the development of new breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies," said Keith Singletary, a University of Illinois food scientist whose research was backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "For example, it may be possible that ingesting SUL in combination with certain natural compounds of drugs could enhance their anticancer effectiveness and reduce side effects."

SUL has been under many microscopes because of its cancer-fighting properties. Previous work has shown that the substance can also help improve normal cells' defenses against cancer-causing agents. Singletary cautions that much work remains to be done before SUL is administered as a cancer drug, but, if that is possible, it is potentially much less toxic than chemotherapy and less invasive than surgery, the two therapies most frequently used today.

Breast cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer worldwide, with just over 1 million new cases occurring each year.

Further information about breast cancer is available at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/

Further information about the importance of nutrition is available at http://www.who.int/nut/

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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