Vienna, VA — An apple a day may keep breast cancer away, according to a study published this spring by food scientists at Cornell University - important news for women as October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"Women should be aware that apples can be easily implemented into a cancer-preventing diet," said Wendy Davis, R.D., a nutritionist for the U.S. Apple Association. "Disease-fighting antioxidants found in apples and apple products promote overall good health throughout life."

The Cornell researchers treated animals with a known mammary carcinogen and then fed them whole apple extracts.

The study found that tumor incidence was reduced by as much as 44 percent. The phytonutrients in apples, rich in antioxidants, are credited for their cancer-fighting abilities.

"Our findings suggest that consumers may gain more significant health benefits by eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods than in consuming expensive dietary supplements, which do not contain the same array of balanced, complex components," said Dr. Rui Hai Liu, Cornell Associate Professor of Food Science, the lead author of the study.

Other studies have found that apples may not only reduce the risk of cancer, but also the risk of heart disease and diabetes. In addition, other studies even show that apples may help dieters lose weight.

For more than two decades, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has educated women about breast cancer, especially the importance of detecting the disease in its earliest stages through screening mammography, clinical breast examination, and for women 20 years of age and older, breast self-examination.