Studies presented at Digestive Disease Week in New Orleans show that simple dietary changes can reduce the risk of cancer and improve digestive health.

Digestive Disease Week is a major international gathering of experts in gastroenterology and other digestive system specialties.

A research team from the Harvard Medical School and the Veterans Administration hospital in Boston presented research that one of the major chemical ingredients of green tea serves as both a preventative for cancer of the esophagus and a treatment for it.

"Our results suggest that extracts in green tea may help to lower the prevalence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, one of the fastest growing cancers in western countries," said Dr. Howard Chang, one of the researchers involved.

A team from Baylor Medical School in Texas found that even two servings of fruit a week can help youngsters suffering from recurrent abdominal pain. The group surveyed 700 children and found that those who ate many of their meals at fast food restaurants were more likely to suffer from pain.

From Healthy.net