Don't abandon fruits, vegetables despite weak link in cancer risk

http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/dont-abandon-fruits-vegetables-despite-weak-link-in-cancer-risk/article/171239/


Don't abandon fruits, vegetables despite weak link in cancer risk
May 28, 2010

Fruits and vegetables may not have strong cancer-fighting properties, according to a recent study, but these foods remain important components of a healthful diet (J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010;102:529-537).

Patients might have been confused by findings published this spring: Dietary data from more than 30,000 Europeans with cancer demonstrated that a high intake of fruits and vegetables did not greatly reduce cancer risk. “The analysis suggested little confounding by body weight, physical activity, smoking, and several other factors that were examined,” noted the large investigative team.

In an accompanying editorial (J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010;102:510-511), Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said the findings “strongly confirms” similar results from other studies. However, he affirmed, the possibility exists that a single one or a small group of these products, or a specific substance contained in some of them, has an important protective effect. “For example, considerable evidence suggests that lycopene and tomato products reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”

Similarly, an editorial in The Lancet (2010;375:1320) reported that despite the small benefit against cancer overall, the study from which these data were drawn had previously shown fruits and vegetables to have a bigger protective effect for individual cancers such as mouth, esophagus, bowel, and lung cancers.

The editorial also acknowledged evidence indicating that antioxidants or other cancer-protective components of fruits and vegetables may be most effective when consumed in childhood or early adult life.

Finally, The Lancet editors remind readers that fruits and vegetables remain major players in cardiovascular health and staving off obesity, a risk factor for cancer.

From the June 2010 Issue of Clinical Advisor

Restaurant Industry Outlook Remained Positive as the Restaurant Performance Index Stood Above 100 in April

Restaurant Industry Outlook Remained Positive as the Restaurant Performance Index Stood Above 100 in April
Same-store sales and traffic levels softened in April; Operators remain optimistic about sales growth and the economy

(Washington, DC) The outlook for the restaurant industry remained positive in April, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood above 100 for the second consecutive month. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – was essentially unchanged from its previous month’s level; the RPI stood at 100.4 in April, down slightly from its March level of 100.5. RPI levels above 100 indicate expansion of key industry indicators.

“Although the sales and traffic indicators softened somewhat from their March performance, restaurant operators remain optimistic that business conditions will improve in the months ahead,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. “In addition, restaurant operators reported a positive outlook for staffing gains, as well as continued plans for capital expenditures in the coming months.”

Watch a video of Riehle providing a state of the industry, and April RPI update.

The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, and index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The RPI consists of two components, the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor, and capital expenditures), stood at 99.0 in April – unchanged from its March level. The Current Situation Index remained below 100 for the 32nd consecutive month, which signifies contraction in the current situation indicators.

After reporting net positive same-store sales in March for the first time in 22 months, restaurant operators reported softer sales results in April. Thirty-nine percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between April 2009 and April 2010, down from 43 percent of operators who reported higher sales in March. In comparison, 41 percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in April, up from 36 percent of operators who reported negative sales in March.

Similarly, restaurant operators reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in April, after posting positive traffic results in March. Thirty-seven percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between April 2009 and April 2010, down from 41 percent who reported higher customer traffic in March. Thirty-nine percent of operators reported a traffic decline in April, up from 36 percent who reported lower traffic in March.

Although sales and traffic results softened in April, restaurant operators reported a moderate uptick in capital spending. Forty percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the past three months, up from 36 percent last month and the highest level in six months.

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures, and business conditions), stood at 101.8 in April – down slightly from a level of 101.9 in March. Despite the modest decline, the Expectations Index stood above the 100 level for the fourth consecutive month, which signifies expansion in the forward-looking indicators.

Restaurant operators remain solidly optimistic about sales improvements in the months ahead. Forty-seven percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared with the same period in the previous year), down slightly from 50 percent who reported similarly last month. In comparison, only 12 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, down from 15 percent who reported similarly last month and the lowest level in more than three years.

Restaurant operators also remain optimistic about the direction of the overall economy. Forty-one percent of restaurant operators said they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, compared with 46 percent who reported similarly last month. In comparison, only 10 percent of operators said they expect economic conditions to worsen in the next six months, down from 12 percent last month.

Along with a positive outlook for sales and the economy, restaurant operators’ plans for capital expenditures held steady in recent months. Forty-eight percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, roughly on par with the levels reported in the previous two months.

For the third consecutive month, restaurant operators reported a positive outlook for staffing gains in the months ahead. Twenty-two percent of operators expect to increase staffing levels in six months (compared with the same period in the previous year), while just 12 percent plan to reduce staffing levels in six months.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor, and capital expenditures. The full report is available online.
The RPI is released on the last business day of each month, and more detailed data and analysis can be found on Restaurant TrendMapper (www.restaurant.org/trendmapper), the Association's subscription-based service that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends.




Source: National Restaurant Association
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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.

View this news release online: http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease/?ID=1965

More news and information from the National Restaurant Association: http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom

Canadians are eating more fruits and vegetables

http://www.torontosun.com/life/2010/05/27/14139916.html


Canadians are eating more fruits and vegetables and decreasing their daily caloric intake, according to new Statistics Canada data.

The total daily intake of calories per person fell to 2,357.8 in 2009, down 155.6 calories from 2001.

A record consumption of 40.7 kg of fresh vegetables per person in 2009 contributed to the calorie reduction. Cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and onions recorded the biggest percentage increase in annual consumption.

Canadians are also eating more fruit - about 39.3 kg per person last year.

The StatsCan data reflect the amount of food available in Canada in relation to the country's population.

Red meat consumption declined in 2009 to about 23.4 kg.

Consumption of dairy products also fell for the second year in a row to 16 kg per person - about 10 kg of that was cheese.

Canadians appear to be shifting "towards a diet which includes more fruit and vegetables, cereal products and nuts and beans," StatsCan reported.

Oil and fat consumption, which peaked in 1998, is also steadily declining, falling to 17.9 kg per person in 2009.

But the intake of maple syrup rose to 0.2 kg per person, the highest it's been since 1984.

Alcohol consumption for Canadians over 15 was about 99.44 litres in 2009, while coffee consumption was about 90 litres.