A recent study from Ohio State University has confirmed that compounds found in darker red, purple and blue fruits hold certain powerful properties that fight cancer and provide multiple health benefits.

Researchers determined that anthocyanin pigments slowed the growth of cancer cells 50%-80%. In some experiments, these “dark” pigments killed as many as 20% of cancerous cells without harming healthy ones.

The Ohio State study is a continuation of many years of research confirming the multiple health benefits of consuming sufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables.

Despite this, new research from Rutgers University verified that the average American is replacing daily consumption of fruits and vegetables with refined foods high in sugar. In fact, a recent survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates American adults consume less than one-third of the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Especially vulnerable are those ages 2-19 who consume three times the recommended daily amount of sugar and just over half the suggested amount of fiber.

Rather than recommend consumers increase their daily consumption or include a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, scientists in the Ohio State study conclude that further research is needed to identify and isolate beneficial compounds in fruits and vegetables—eventually leading to synthesizing and manufacturing new “cancer” drugs by pharmaceutical companies.