Melbourne: Green leafy vegetable may be as important as wearing a hat, sunscreen and protective clothing to reduce the risk of skin cancer, says a study that highlights the importance of eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Those who eat at least three serves of green leafy vegetables a week reduced their risk of skin cancer by up to 55 per cent, the study by Jolieke van der Pols and other researchers involving 1,000 people in Nambour, on the Sunshine Coast found, according to ABC News online.
Green vegetables including spinach contain a crucial cocktail of nutrients that can boost the skin's natural defence against sun damage, the 11-year study said.
"Other researches that have looked at individual nutrients haven't found very clear evidence, so it might be that actually the combination of nutrients as they occur normally in the foods that we eat, actually have the effect on the skin cancer," Pols said.
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