WOMEN who eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein-rich foods before pregnancy are less likely to have a baby with leukaemia.
The study is the first to relate a mother’s overall diet, rather than specific supplements or foods, to her child’s cancer risk.
Researchers compared the diets of 138 women whose children had leukaemia with controls. The higher the intake of vegetables, fruit and protein foods during the year before pregnancy, the lower the risk of having a child with leukaemia. Carrots, string beans and cantaloupe stood out as being the most protective.
“We’re starting to see the importance of the prenatal environment, since the events that may lead to leukaemia are…
