Could Eating Your Fruits and Veggies Really Give You Lung Cancer?

A new study suggests that pesticides in fruits and veggies could be driving early onset lung cancer rates. Natalia Mishina/Stocksy. A small study found that young nonsmokers who eat more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. The researchers speculate that this could be due to pesticides used on crops. The study is small in sample size and does not prove causation, so experts caution against reducing fruits and vegetable intake. Young nonsmokers who eat a higher quantity of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. Researchers at the University of Southern California presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research on April 17–22. The research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but the authors speculate that their findings may be linked to pesticide use in crops. “Our research shows that younger non-smokers who eat a higher quantity of healthy foods than the general population are more likely to develop lung cancer,” said Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist and lung cancer specialist with USC Norris and lead investigator of the study, in a statement. “These counter-intuitive findings raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer related to otherwise beneficial food that needs to be addressed,” Nieva continued. The researchers note that non-organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains produced commercially typically have higher levels of pesticides than many processed foods, as well as meat and dairy. Existing research that found agricultural workers who are exposed to pesticides have higher rates of lung cancer may support this theory. Rates of lung cancer in the United States have been falling since the 1980s, along with rates of smoking. However, this has not been true among non-smokers ages 50 and younger, particular