People who flavor their diets with plenty of onions and garlic might have less chance of developing several types of cancer, a study suggests.
In an analysis of eight studies from Italy and Switzerland, researchers found that older adults with the highest onion and garlic intakes had the lowest risks of a number of cancers - including those of the colon, ovaries and throat.
The findings, which appear in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, are in line with some past research. But those studies were mainly conducted in China, where dietary habits are different and garlic intake is higher.
It had been unclear as to whether the results would be different in Western countries.
These latest findings suggest that the anti-cancer benefit of these vegetables extend to everyone, said Carlotta Galeone, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacologic Research in Milan, Italy.
It's still not certain that onions and garlic have a direct effect on cancer risk. It's possible, for instance, that onion and garlic lovers also have an overall diet that protects against cancer.
