Do vegetables have cancer-fighting powers?

Popular wisdom in recent years -- even supported by the American Cancer Society -- has been that a diet high in fruits and vegetables helps to prevent cancer.

But a new study published this week in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that this claim is not necessarily true.

Nearly 480,000 men and women were studied over a period of 9 years, and while high vegetable consumption among the test subjects did cause a small reduction in the risk for cancer, the reduction was only an average of 4% for every two veggie servings per day.

The authors of the study say that the weak connection between vegetable consumption and reduced cancer risk could also be attributed to the subjects' overall habits: People who eat a lot of veggies, they contend, are also less likely to smoke or drink heavily.

They're Still Good For You!

But that doesn't mean vegetables don't have any health benefits.

According to another study published in 2004, a diet high in vegetables -- green leafy vegetables in particular -- does a great job in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Pass the salad, please!