There is a link between higher fruit intake and lower risk of breast cancer, according to a prospective cohort study involving more than 90,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II.

Participants completed a questionnaire on diet during adolescence, and ~44,000 of them answered similar questions 7 years later. Among the results:

• Women with a median intake of ~3 servings/day of fruit were 25% less likely to develop breast cancer than those with a median intake of 0.5 servings.

• There was no relationship between risk and total fruit intake in early adulthood and total vegetable intake at either time.

• Women with a median intake of 0.5 servings/day of fruits/vegetables rich in α carotene were 18% less likely to develop breast cancer than those with a median intake of 0.3 servings/day.

• Reduced risk came from greater intake of apple, banana, and grapes during adolescence and oranges and kale during early adulthood.

• Fruit juice intake had no impact on risk.

Citation: Farvid M, Chen W, Michels K, Cho E, Willett W, Eliassen A. Fruit and vegetable consumption in adolescence and early adulthood and risk of breast cancer: Population based cohort study. [Published online ahead of print May 11, 2016]. BMJ. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i2343.