For a long time, we are under the impression that eating more vegetables and fruits is only good for our body, but most people do not know how beneficial vegetables and fruits really are for people. In fact, besides providing the necessary vitamins and other trace elements for the human body, vegetables and fruits also provide a large amount of insoluble dietary fiber for intestinal peristalsis, and insoluble dietary fiber not only promotes intestinal peristalsis and prevents constipation, but also is broken down by bacteria in the intestine into short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid, and these short-chain fatty acids can promote metabolism for normal mucous membrane cells in the intestine, while for tumor cells, it will promote apoptosis. This is one of the reasons why dietary fiber can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, and a recent case-control study shows that the effects of different colors of vegetables and fruits may also differ, as published in the WJG. Professor Jeeyoo Lee’s team from South Korea conducted a cohort study on the correlation between the color of vegetables and fruits and the risk of colorectal cancer. A total of 923 colorectal cancer patients and 1,846 healthy controls were included in the study. The researchers categorized the included population by gender, and a professional nutritionist counted the basic information of the study participants such as smoking and drinking history, family history of tumors, BMI, and the total amount and type of vegetables and fruits consumed in the past year, and classified them into four categories based on the color of the edible portion of vegetables and fruits: green, orange/yellow, red/purple, and white. (Table of food categories involved in the study) The results of the study showed that the intake of adequate amounts of vegetables and fruits significantly reduced the risk of colorectal cancer, especially in the female population. As for the association between different colored vegetables and fruits and colorectal cancer incidence, adequate overall intake of fruits and vegetables and intake of adequate white fruits and vegetables in the male population were associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer, intake of red/purple fruits and vegetables had essentially no significant effect on colorectal cancer incidence, while orange/yellow fruits and vegetables showed a stronger association with increased risk of colorectal cancer, but when orange/yellow fruits alone When analyzed alone, they showed a tendency to reduce CRC risk, meaning that men should eat more green and white fruits and vegetables as well as orange/yellow fruits, and reduce the intake of yellow vegetables. Similar results were seen in women, where orange/yellow vegetables were also associated with an increased risk of CRC, except for red/purple fruits and vegetables, which significantly reduced the risk of colorectal cancer in women. The researchers offered the following explanation for the study results. Green fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of folic acid, dietary fiber and lutein, which induce apoptosis in tumor cells and reduce damage to normal cells. White fruits and vegetables contain a variety of nutrients, such as polysaccharides in apples, saponins in roots and tubers, mushroom polysaccharides in mushrooms, and quercetin in onions, all of which play an important role in fighting oxidative damage to cells and reducing DNA damage. The link between yellow vegetables and increased risk of colorectal cancer is more controversial, with some studies suggesting that intake of dark yellow plants may reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, as curcumin and ginger root extract have been shown to inhibit the progression of colon cancer in humans in vivo. However, it should be noted that rotten ginger contains curcumin, a proven carcinogen, and that pesticide residues on these crops also cause an increased risk of colorectal cancer, so there is no definitive theory to explain the phenomenon found in this study. Comrades, if your wife cooks carrots and pumpkin soup every day, you should be more alert!