Vegetables are amazing foods, not only are they jam packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, but they are also rich in a particular type of nutrient called ‘phytochemicals’ which are specific to plant foods. These fascinating protective plant compounds have a health enhancing effect and help to protect us against a number of diseases such as heart disease and cancer just like they help to protect the plant from disease. Hundreds of different phytochemicals have been discovered in plant foods and are responsible for giving plants their colour, flavour and smell.

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Over the last few years there have been dramatic increases in the understanding of how cancer operates at a cellular level. There are now moves towards a more intelligent way of dealing with cancer that work with the body, and a gradual shift away from the toxicity of therapies like chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

This greater understanding has, in some quarters, changed the concept of what cancer actually is. A recent scientific paper suggests that a tumour has a lot of similarities to a wound, and has been likened to ‘a wound that doesn’t heal’. A wound induces rapid growth but then switches off the growth when the wound has healed – in cancer that ‘off switch’ fails.

We do know that a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables can greatly reduce our chances of getting cancer, and also, being overweight can increase our chances of getting cancer. What has been missing up until now has been the fine detail of the processes involved.

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It’s official – Diet Debate is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new Health Blog. Covering a varied and growing number of health related subjects, the Diet Debate Health Blog aims to uncover and educate readers on various issues that contribute to and support the process of dieting and weight loss.

Whether you want to learn more about Food and Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness or Body and Mind, our new Health Blog will gradually grow to provide a concise yet straightforward resource written by industry professionals and specialist journalists.

Our first month of publications provide an in depth look at the connection between Nutrition and Cancer, the Power of Vegetables and Getting to Know Your Body through the principles of Massage.

As well as our contributions from industry specialists we have a growing number of dedicated health journalists; each eager to bring you the very latest in current health news.

As with the development of the entire Diet Debate website, we want our new Health Blog to be a truly useful resource. If you have any suggestions or feedback, get in touch via our contact page – we’d love to hear from you, especially if you’ve got some recommendations or ideas for future articles.

Enjoy!