Fruit and vegetable diet linked to lung cancer in young non-smokers

Early research has found that a diet high in fruits and vegetables has a surprising link to lung cancer in young non-smokers.

The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, MD, of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in San Diego. It has not yet been peer reviewed.

Researchers examined nutritional, smoking and demographic data of 187 patients diagnosed with lung cancer aged 50 and under.

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They found that among nonsmokers, there was a link between a healthier-than-average diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and the chance of developing lung cancer.

Researchers found that young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult.

Researchers have suggested that pesticides applied to conventionally grown crops may be a possible factor in the disease association.

“Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are more likely to be associated with higher levels of pesticide residue than dairy, meat, and many processed foods,” according to Nieva. He also noted that lung cancer rates are higher in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides.

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“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” Nieva told Fox News Digital.

Although smoking rates have been falling for decades, the disease has become more common in nonsmokers age 50 and younger, especially women, the researchers noted.

Researchers have suggested that pesticides applied to conventionally grown crops may be a possible factor in the disease association. (iStock)

“These patients tend to eat much healthier than the average American before their diagnosis,” he continued. “We now need to support research to understand why Americans, and especially women, who are not heavy smokers, still get lung cancer,” he said.

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Nieva acknowledged that the study had some limitations, relying primarily on survey data and limited to participants’ memories of their food intake.

“Additionally, the survey participants were self-selected, which may have biased the findings,” he told Fox News Digital.

“There is a large subgroup of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking.”

The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides; instead they relied on average pesticide levels for certain types of foods. Going forward, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.

Although the study only shows an association and does not prove that pesticides cause lung cancer, Nieva recommends people wash produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.

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“This study represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” Nieva said. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future research on lung cancer prevention.”

“It is possible that the increased risk of lung cancer is due to pesticide exposure in whole farm foods, but this is by no means certain,” one doctor said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said the study was “interesting” but “raises far more questions than it answers.”

“This is a small study (around 150) and observational, so there is no evidence,” the doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

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“It is possible that the increased risk of lung cancer is due to pesticide exposure in whole farm foods, but this is by no means certain,” Siegel continued. “How much exposure is required? How much gets into food and into what areas? This requires further research.”

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Kayla Nichols, communications director for the Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study’s conclusion that more research is needed on the increase in lung cancer, especially in individuals who consume diets high in produce and fiber.

“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“There is a wealth of existing research linking pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancer,” Nichols, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. He called for more research on chronic, low-level exposure to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.

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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners such as AstraZeneca and Genentech.

Fox News Digital has reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.