Articles such as this, which relegate the importance of diet in the prevention of cancer to a status of “myth”, are unfortunate:

An Apple a Day, and Other Myths, George Johnson, New York Times, 21 April 2014

The relationship between diet and cancer is, as Harvard’s Dr. Willett said, complex. That doesn’t mean it’s nonexistant. Just last week a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that consumption of a high fat, particularly high saturated fat diet was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer.

Johnson’s article itself mentions a point I’ve been driving home for years:

“Cutting back on milk and other dairy products might possibly lower the risk of prostate cancer.”

People like to read good things about their bad habits. Eating hot dogs, donuts, and chicken nuggets just got the green light!