Good News: Grapefruit's Out of Food Jail

October is a banner month, and the banner is pink. Besides being Vegetarian Awareness Month, it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and breast cancer support's signature pink ribbons are everywhere.

Pink is for girls, presumably, but also for health. It's a glow of vibrancy, a bloom. But not so much if the pink comes from artificial coloring. More appropriate is a naturally pink food that's good for you, and we don't mean ham. We mean pink grapefruit.

Happily, grapefruit has been freed from food jail. In 2007, a study in the British Journal of Cancer seemed to indicate a correlation between grapefruit consumption and breast cancer. The news went viral on the Web, and women of all ages stopped eating grapefruit.

What didn't gain as much attention was a 2008 study in which the same journal refuted its initial study. And a study by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), published in August, put grapefruit in the clear and back on the menu.

EPIC followed 114,504 women, both pre- and post-menopausal, over nine years. Fifty-nine percent ate grapefruit daily, and researchers found no link between its consumption and elevated breast cancer risk.

Diet isn't the only factor in cancer prevention, but it's a vital one. Earlier this month, a paper presented at an American Institute for Cancer Research conference advocated the benefits of a plant-based diet.

That includes grapefruit. It's just coming into season, so take advantage of something fresh, local and rich in vitamin C. Every hue is healthy, but pink grapefruit lets you show your colors for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Naturally.

Ellen Kanner writes about vegetarian concerns. She blogs at www.edgyveggie1.blogspot.com.