Almost 40 per cent of Irish people were not consuming recommended levels of fruit, vegetables and vegetable oils, a conference has been told. This was despite new research confirming their ability to protect against cancers and heart disease, writes Kevin O'Sullivan.
Dr Ronan Gormley, of the Teagasc's National Food Centre, who has co-ordinated an EU review of the role of antioxidants in diet, said it underlined how fruit and vegetables were powerful sources of vitamins A and C, while vegetable oil was the best source of vitamin E.
All three `ACE' vitamins had a crucial role as "antioxidants" in neutralising "free radicals" which attack the DNA system leading to predisposition to cancer and heart disease, he told an international conference in Dublin on the role of fruit and vegetables in diet. It was staged by Teagasc and An Bord Glas.
He advocated at least five servings of fruit/vegetables/salads per day for an adequate supply of vitamins A and C, and suggested food be garnished with vegetable oils, notably olive oil, to get the required amount of vitamin E. While liver was the best source of vitamin A, excellent vegetable sources were carrots, cabbage and broccoli.