Gardeners who grow their own fruit and vegetables could be the healthiest people. That's the conclusion of Dr Laurence J Trueman, a molecular biologist and biochemist currently working as a consultant to the horticulture industry specialising in the effect of eating fruit and vegetables on human health. Dr Trueman says the following about fruit & veg:

• Eating 400g (14oz) of fruit and vegetables a day provides protection against super oxide radicals; these are known to be major causes of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• There is increasing evidence that some of these may not only protect against cancer, but actively slow the growth and in some cases kill cancer cells; e.g. brassicas may be able to kill cancer cells and watercress may be able to kill lung cancer cells.
• Vegetables provide more benefits than fruit - up to twice as much.
• Variety is the key to life: it is important to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables in as wide a range of colours as possible - something that gardeners are always doing as they're keen to experiment with new things - such as multi-coloured carrots.
• Selenium is a co-factor in helping the effectiveness of fruit and vegetables fight these diseases. Selenium is rare in British soils, but is common in manure and manure-based fertilisers, and so is present in soils fed with these substances.
• Freshness is a major factor in the effectiveness of fruit and vegetables to fight disease, and the best way of getting the freshest produce available is to grow and harvest your own.
• Stress is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and gardening is known to reduce stress.

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