Eating tasty canned fruit may reduce strokes, cancer and heart disease - expert

01 February 2024 , 11:22

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Fresh produce doesn't always mean 'better' (Stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

A can of fruit a day could keep the doctor away.

Strokes, cancer, and heart disease are listed in the nation's five biggest killers - accounting for a whopping 150,000 deaths in under 75-year-olds in England alone. According to the BBC, the Department of Health estimates around 30,000 of these deaths are 'entirely avoidable'.

Of course, there are a slew of factors that can cause these major health problems - including smoking, lack of physical inactivity and even stress. However, food also plays a big part in increasing and reducing our chances of ending up with complications. One expert has hailed a common canned fruit to fight the diseases off.

Tim Spector is an epidemiologist and professor at King's College London. The scientist recently took to Instagram to bust the myth that 'fresh' produce is always better than canned or frozen food.

He told his followers there is no need to be a food 'snob', pointing out that certain vegetables like peas actually retain more vitamin C than their fresh counterparts. Spinach is another example of how frozen food can actually be a better alternative, as they often contains less oxalates, which can aid iron absorption.

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Spector hailed tomatoes as being a 'major source' of lycopene - a form of carotene 'that has been linked to reductions in stroke, heart disease and cancer'. "Interestingly," he added. "There is more lycopene in tinned tomatoes than their fresh counterparts."

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Spector cited a systematic review over more than 26,000 participants that found 'higher total tomato consumption was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer'. But, researchers say this link was specifically in relation to 'tomato foods, cooked tomatoes, and sauces'. No associations were found for raw tomatoes.

Another study concluded that high-intakes or high-serum concentration of lycopene are associated with significant reductions in the risk of stroke (26 per cent), mortality (37 per cent) and cardiovascular disease (14 per cent). A more recent systematic review published in 2022 analysed 72 human and animal studies on lycopene.

It found a staggering 70 per cent of the studies confirmed 'various anti-cancer properties of lycopene'. 20 papers looked into the risk of prostate cancer in humans, and the majority confirmed the 'antitumor activity of lycopene'. Animal studies had inconclusive results

Liam Gilliver