Best Anti-Cancer Foods to Add in Your Regular Diet
One of the most effective strategies to cut your risk of developing cancer is by changing your diet. It’s true that no single food can give you optimal protection from this lethal disease, but the right combination of foods can certainly help keep you healthy and cancer-free!
To significantly reduce your risk, here are the foods that deserve a special spot in your plate:
Fruits and Veggies in a variety of colour
The more colourful your salad, the healthier it is. Nutritionists recommend eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables of different kinds and colours to reduce your risk of cancer and other serious health problems.
Folate-fortified food products
Jumpstart your day with a bowl of fortified breakfast cereals and whole grain products. These foods contain folate, a type of B vitamin that protects your body from colon, rectal, and breast cancer. Bored of your usual cup of cereal? Toss some strawberries, slices of melons and orange. These delicious fruits are also high in folate!
Tomatoes
Some studies have linked regular consumption of tomatoes to a reduction in the risk of several types of cancer, such as prostate cancer. Whether you like using freshly picked tomatoes, or the canned ones, you can get a lot of antioxidants, particularly lycopene that nourish your body and keep those disease-causing toxins away.
Green Tea
A large body of scientific studies suggests that tea may have a potential in beating cancer, particularly in the colon, breast, liver and prostate. Regular intake of green tea is also associated with the lower risk of bladder, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. Other types of tea, including black tea, are also rich in pro-health compounds.
Mushroom
Instead of using meat for your salad, why not do the healthier thing and choose mushrooms? Several varieties of mushroom, including Shiitake, Agaricus blazei Muril, Reishi, and Maitake contain polysaccharides and Lentinan – essential compounds that strengthen the immune system. Mushrooms also contain lectin that attacks cancerous cells and prevents them from multiplying.
Grapes
Here’s the reason why red wine is good for you – grapes, which is the main source of red wine, contains resveratrol that has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In lab studies, it was shown that this compound has the ability to prevent cellular damage that triggers cancer.
Sweet Potatoes (including the peel)
Whether baked or boiled – sweet potatoes can greatly reduce your cancer risk by protecting your cells from DNA damage. It contains many essential compounds, including beta-carotene that has anti-cancer properties.
Avocado
Why take expensive glutathione supplement when you can have it from the food you eat? Avocado is a rich source of glutathione – the master antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body by blocking the intestinal absorption of body fats. There are also clinical evidences suggesting that avocadoes may have a potential in treating viral hepatitis (cause of liver cancer) and other liver diseases. That is again, due to its glutathione content.
Beans
Beans contain phytochemicals that protect cells against the damage caused by cancer. In clinical trials, these natural substances delayed the growth of tumours and prevented them from releasing substances that damage nearby cells.
Carrots
Carrot is one of the richest sources of beta carotene which is known for its anti-cancer properties. It also contains the compound called falcarinol that helps combat cancer, according to the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS).
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale are delicious whether stir-fried, baked, steamed or blanched. Here’s the best thing – these vegetables contains essential compounds that defend the body from free radicals that cause colon, breast, lung, and cervix cancer.
Curcumin
Here’s another reason to love curry. Turmeric, which is the main source of curry powder, contains curcumin – an active compound that is considered by many experts as a potential cancer fighter. Curcumin has the ability to suppress the transformation, proliferation and invasion of cancer cells in the body.
Oranges and Lemons
Refresh your body by drinking energy-boosting natural orange or lemon juice. Other than vitamin C, these fruits contain Iimonene which works by stimulating the body’s natural killers of cancer cells. The same substance also breaks down cancer-causing substances.
Raspberries
These delicious berries are fully packed with vitamins, minerals, plant compounds, and antioxidants that fight cancer. In a study published in the Cancer Research, it was shown that the rats fed with black raspberries reduced their number of oesophageal tumours by 5-10 per cent. Not the season for raspberries? Try strawberries. Both of these berries contain a phytochemical called ellagic acid that deactivates cancer-causing substances and delays the growth of cancer cells.
Grapefruits
Same with lemons, oranges and other citrus varieties, grapefruits help fight cancer by sweeping the carcinogens out of your body. In vitro studies suggest that the compound in grapefruits may also prevent breast cancer cells from multiplying.
Seeds and Nuts
Instead of high-calorie cheese-flavoured popcorn or crisps, why not pop in some seeds and nuts and boost your immunity against cancer? Flaxseeds for example, contain lignans – natural compounds that work like antioxidants and have the ability to suppress cancerous changes. Flax also contains omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart and brain health. Nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, and Brazil nuts, contain good amount of selenium which has a significant role in combating prostate cancer.
Herbs and Spices
Garlic contains immune-enhancing allium compounds that appear to enhance the activity of immune cells that fight cancer-causing substances. Rosemary, on the other hand, improves the activity of detoxification enzymes, which has been clinically shown to inhibit the development of breast and skin tumours in animals. A lot more herbs and spices are known to have beneficial effects to health.
Cancer-Fighting Diet Tips
Apart from focusing on these nutrient-filled foods, there are other dietary guidelines you need to follow to protect yourself from cancer:
Pass on the sugar
Whilst sugar does not directly cause cancer, too much of it may prevent your system from absorbing the nutrients it gets from the food you eat. Sugar also increases your calorie intake, which in turn make your body gain weight. As many of us know, obesity is a risk factor for cancer.
Cook wisely
The way you prepare the food you eat has a huge impact on the quality of nutrients you get, and your risk of cancer. Cooking meat in very high temperatures (such as grilling, broiling or frying) may stimulate the production of unhealthy compounds that cause cancer. Other cooking methods, including stewing, braising, or steaming appear to produce fewer of those cancer-causing compounds. Making use of herbs and spices whilst cooking also makes your favourite dish more delicious and health-friendly!
Drink water (and other fluids)
Water is another detoxifying agent, washing away the toxins and unnecessary compounds out of your system. Drinking water more often also cuts your risk of bladder cancer.
Don’t just rely on supplements
Supplements are a good addition to your diet but they should not be used as an alternative. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, the cancer-fighting nutrients taken directly from food sources are superior to those you get from supplements.
They say “you are what you eat”. Through proper food choices, you can greatly cut your risk of developing cancer!
Can you share other dietary tips to fight cancer? Share your comment below.
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