About 35 percent of cancers are related to nutritional factors. To help
prevent cancer, eat a wide variety of foods rich in nutrients that
protect your body's cells from damage, such as these.
Grapefruit Vitamin
C — an antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables such as
grapefruit, oranges, bell peppers, and broccoli — helps to prevent the
formation of cancer-causing nitrogen compounds. Diets high in vitamin C
have been linked to a reduced risk of cancers of the stomach, colon,
esophagus, bladder, breast, and cervix. These results are specific to
vitamin C-rich foods, rather than supplements, which seem less reliable.
So be sure to pile fruits and veggies on your plate – they're excellent
for your body in so many ways!
Peanuts and peanut butter Some
research shows that eating a vitamin E–rich diet reduces the risk of
stomach, colon, lung, liver, and other cancers, but, as with other
antioxidants, vitamin E supplements have largely struck out. I recommend
adding vitamin E–rich foods like peanuts, peanut butter, almonds,
almond butter, and sunflower seeds to your diet; they'll help keep your
cells' defenses strong. Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond
butter on a slice of whole grain toast for a filling snack packed with
cancer-fighting vitamin E.
Berries Of all the fruits and
vegetables studied, berries rank among the most likely to reduce cancer
risk. Every year, we learn more and more about the benefits of these
nutrition powerhouse fruits. Raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries
in particular have shown very promising potential to help prevent
cancer. An antioxidant called pterostilbene, found in high quantities in
blueberries, has cancer-fighting properties and cranberries contain a
whole drugstore's worth of cancer-fighting natural chemicals. Laboratory
animals fed black raspberries had a 60 percent reduction in tumors of
the esophagus and an 80 percent reduction in colon tumors. Next time you
want a sweet treat, skip the cookies and feast on juicy, delicious
berries that can boost your health.
Sweet potatoes Beta-carotene
is a powerful antioxidant. Studies have shown that people who eat a diet
high in beta-carotene — found primarily in orange vegetables and leafy
greens — have a reduced risk of cancer, particularly of the lung, colon,
and stomach. Among premenopausal women, one study found that eating a
lot of vegetables that include beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, and
fiber – like sweet potatoes — reduced the risk of breast cancer by about
half.
Wild salmon Low vitamin D levels have been linked to
several cancers, including colon and breast. Scientists theorize that
vitamin D may help block the development of blood vessels that feed
growing tumors and help stop the proliferation of cancerous and
precancerous cells. To cover your bases, I recommend eating plenty of
vitamin D–rich foods, such as wild salmon, and choosing vitamin
D–fortified dairy products, like milk and yogurt. Because so few foods
provide vitamin D, you should consider a daily multivitamin or separate
supplement that provides 800 to 1,000 IUs of vitamin D3
(cholecalciferol, the most potent form).
Ground flaxseed Omega-3
fatty acids may help prevent cancer by inhibiting cancer cell
proliferation and disrupting steps that are critical to tumor growth.
Omega-3 fatty acids also help reduce inflammation, which means they
could theoretically reduce the possibility of cellular mutations. But
even if omega-3s don't directly reduce the risk of cancer, they
certainly help keep our bodies strong and healthy. For all of these
reasons, I highly recommend adding omega-3–rich foods to your diet. In
addition to fatty fish and shellfish, mixing ground flaxseed into yogurt
and smoothies is an excellent way to include more omega-3s in your
diet.
Turmeric Turmeric is the yellow-colored spice found in
curry powder. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, functions as
both an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, and it may help prevent
cancer by interfering with aspects of cellular signaling. In laboratory
animals, curcumin has been shown to help prevent cancer of the breast,
colon, stomach, liver, and lung. Using curry powder to spice up chicken
and egg dishes is an easy way to incorporate it into your diet — and it
has the added bonus of adding flavor to your meals, without any
calories!
Tea Tea contains compounds called catechins, compounds
that scientists theorize may help stop the growth of cancer cells and
prevent cellular mutations that contribute to cancer development. In
Japan, where tea is the preferred beverage, green tea consumption has
been linked to reduced risk of stomach cancer among women. In China,
green tea drinkers were found to have a lower risk of developing rectal
and pancreatic cancers compared with non-tea drinkers. Regular tea
drinkers have also been shown to be at reduced risk for colon, breast,
ovarian, prostate, and lung cancers. All types of tea — green, black,
white, oolong — seem to have value as cancer preventive agents, so
regularly drink tea and enjoy a variety of flavors to reap all the
benefits!
Cruciferous vegetables All plant foods — grains, fruits, and vegetables — contain
small amounts of phytonutrients: naturally occurring chemical compounds
that are just as important as vitamins and minerals are for maintaining
health. There are thousands of known phytonutrients, many of which have
demonstrated the potential to protect us against cancer. Cruciferous
vegetables like broccoli,cauliflower, and cabbage contain phytonutrients
known as glucosinolates, which may help inhibit the metabolism of some
carcinogens and stimulate the body's production of detoxification
enzymes.
Pomegranates Pomegranates are chock full of ellagic acid
— the latest phytonutrient to enter the scene (although it's been
quietly hanging out in berries, nuts, and pomegranates for millennia).
In laboratory and animal studies, ellagic acid has been shown to inhibit
cancer cell growth and deactivate cancer-causing compounds. To take
advantage of these health properties, incorporate pomegranate seeds into
smoothies or use them to top off a bowl of yogurt or cereal. Other
foods rich in ellagic acid include raspberries, blackberries,
strawberries, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, and grapes (red, black,
purple).
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