Cancer is one of the many terminal illnesses that has defied medication and vaccination. While cancer can be managed according to the type, there are also diets known as anti-cancers that can be eaten to lower the risk of cancer. Thankfully, foods that prevent cancer are cheap and common to find.
The Cancer Society of America has recommended that vegetables and fruits must be eaten daily in order to stay healthy.
While it may be difficult to prevent cancer by eating cancer-fighting diets only, it is very possible to lower your risk of the deadly disease when you eat rightly. Now, let’s go through some foods that prevent cancer.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are about the only food that you can take in large quantities without worrying about sugar or carbohydrates. They have a high amount of minerals and vitamins that are beneficial to the body and it is believed that they can reduce the risk of certain cancers. The sugar in plant-based meals is not as dangerous as that in processed meals. Mediterranean diet is known to be classed as cancer fight food because it is mainly plant-based like nuts, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
- Sip green tea throughout your day: If you are looking to stay healthy, you may want to add green tea to your diet plan because of the antioxidant it contains. Green tea is a cancer-fighting food and it could be helpful in the prevention of lung, pancreatic, liver, oesophagal, and skin cancer. Green tea has epigallocatechin-3 gallate, a nontoxic chemical that fights against an enzyme responsible for cancer growth. A Cup of green tea is thought to have between 100 and 200 milligrams of anti-tumour ingredients.
- Eat more tomatoes. Tomato is both an anti-ageing and anti-cancer food. Tomato contains an antioxidant agent known as lycopene, which is believed to be more powerful than vitamin E, beta, and alpha-carotene. Lycopene fights against prostate and lung cancer. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene in it.
- Use olive oil. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat used for cooking and non-cooking purposes, and it may be a cancer-fighting food. In Mediterranean countries where olive oil is used for cooking and making salads, breast cancer is at 50 per cent lower than in the US.
- Snack on grapes. Grapes might be a bit expensive, but it contains a very high amount of antioxidants. Grapes have a cancer-fighting chemical that is predominantly found in red wine and juices, this is healthy for the heart and may prevent some chronic degenerative diseases.
- Use garlic and onions abundantly. Garlic and Onions are bulbs that prevent or attack the generation of nitrosamines, dangerous carcinogens that set out to affect several parts of the internal organs like the colon, breast, and liver. The more pungent the garlic or onion, the more effective it is in fighting cancer.
- Eat fish. Fatty fishes contain an omega-3 fatty acid that is thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
If you want to be cancer-free, you may add the following foods to your diet in order to prevent cancer.
Garlic
According to a study, garlic is one of the cancer-fighting foods. People who eat garlic often are at a lower risk of cancer, especially in their internal organs like the stomach, colon, and oesophagus.
If the ingredient in the pungent bulbs does not stop the multiplication of the cancer cells, it will stop cancer-causing substances from being active. There is no telling the definite quantity needed to prevent cancer, but clove is believed to be enough,
Berries
Berries have oxidative agents that fight cancers. Antioxidants fight free radicals that set out to damage the cells of the body. Asides from keeping cancer cells from multiplying, the compound in berries prevent cancerous cells from spreading. You may want to add berries to your anti-cancer diet.
Tomatoes
Tomato is effective in preventing prostate cancer in men. It contains a very powerful antioxidant that is called lycopene which prevents the cells from being damaged. The redder the tomatoes, the more lycopene it does contain. Processed tomatoes also have a significant amount of lycopene, which is better absorbed from the sauce.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables believed to have ingredients that can fight and prevent cancers. These vegetables block free-ravaging radicals that can damage the cells’ DNA. Cauliflower is known to slow the growth of tumours and encourage cells to die.
Green Tea
Green tea has a powerful antioxidant dubbed catechins, which sets out to prevent the growth of cancer cells. According to research, catechins in green tea have the ability to shrink tumours that are growing – not all green tea though.
You may want to consider a cup or two of green or black tea per day to lower your risk of cancer.
Whole Grains
Research has also proven that whole grains can serve as an anti-cancer diet because they contain antioxidants and fibre. The risk of colorectal cancer is lower in people who eat whole grains than in people who do not eat whole grains. For example, Oatmeal, brown rice, barley, whole-wheat bread, and pasta are the common whole-grain meals we know.
Turmeric
Turmeric contains an ingredient that is called curcumin, which is effective in reducing the risk of cancer. Curcumin inhibits certain cancer cells and reduces the spread and growth of the tumour in some animals. Tumeric is easily found everywhere.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins. Vegetables are also a very rich source of antioxidants like beta-carotene and lutein.
Grapes
Grapes prevent the spread or growth of cancerous cells. They are very rich in an antioxidant that is known as resveratrol. According to research by the National Cancer Institute, resveratrol limits the growth of several kinds of cancer cells.
Cancer-Fighting Beans
While there are many foods that have antioxidative properties, beans hardly come to mind as one of the foods with antioxidative agents. Pinto and red kidney beans are known to be sources of antioxidants and can be added to anti-cancer diets. Beans also contain fibre, which helps to reduce cancer
