“Orange is the New Pink” Campaign Raises Awareness for Breast Cancer Prevention
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) September 29, 2014 -- The nonprofit Physicians Committee launches the Orange is the New Pink campaign today for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The lifesaving social media campaign will help women learn about the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet rich in orange and red fruits and vegetables and leafy greens.
In June, the Physicians Committee released national guidelines for cancer prevention, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN), which find a diet rich in carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables helps women reduce the risk of breast cancer by 19 percent. Carotenoids are the pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant orange, yellow, and green colors. The Institute of Medicine recommends women consume a daily serving of 3 to 6 milligrams of beta-carotene, a common type of carotenoid, to reduce the risk of disease.
“The next time you’re at the grocery store, think orange,” advises Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee and an author of the JACN cancer prevention guidelines. “One sweet potato provides two to three times the recommended amount of beta-carotene you need in an entire day. Other powerful sources include carrots, cantaloupe, winter squash, and dark leafy green vegetables.”
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans find adults consume half the recommended amount of red, orange, and dark green vegetables. The Physicians Committee hopes to narrow this nutrition gap by recruiting parents, teachers, and doctors to help spread the word.
For more information, please visit http://www.OrangeIsTheNewPink.org.
About the Physicians Committee
Founded in 1985 by Neal Barnard, M.D., the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization with more than 10,000 doctor members that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.
Jessica Frost, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, http://www.PCRM.org, +1 (202) 527-7342, [email protected]
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