Overview

"Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases." This is the new dietary guidance resulting from collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This guidance is based on a broad, well-established body of scientific study. The following Food Facts were designed to draw on that body of knowledge, while providing information on specific fruits and vegetables. In doing so, we seek to answer the question: Which fruits and vegetables provide what nutrients and why might these be beneficial? It should be remembered, however, that while fruits and vegetables supply essential, bioactive nutrients at a low and constant level, the concentrations of these bioactive nutrients are such that they are not to be used to treat specific disease states.

SOURCES

The information presented in Food Facts A-Z was obtained from numerous sources. Dole's "Encyclopedia of Foods - A Guide to Healthy Nutrition," prepared by medical and nutrition experts from Mayo Clinic, University of California Los Angeles, and Dole Food Company, Inc., served as a primary source. The USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1 was consulted for up-to-date nutrient facts. A review of current nutrition research obtained from medical and scientific journals was also summarized and included where appropriate. FDA guidelines for serving sizes were followed where available, and USDA Food Guide Pyramid (1992) serving size guidelines were used when FDA standards were not defined for certain fruits and vegetables. Occasionally, there may be discrepancies between published USDA and FDA nutrition information. In this document, we chose to use the USDA nutrition data because it is more current than published FDA data.

Food and Drug Administration regulations on nutrition labeling for foods were followed for foods for which the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) or Daily Reference Value (DRV) are defined. The FDA defines a "good source" when a food contains 10-19% of the RDI or DRV, and an "excellent source" when a food contains 20% or more of the RDI or DRV. Both RDI and DRV are declared as Daily Value on food labels.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided on this site is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for any type of medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your physician or a registered dietitian if you have any questions about your diet, medical condition, or the information presented herein.