10 Foods to Eat to Help Fight Cancer
More and more studies are showing that there are a lot of substances in our environment, our guilty pleasures and the food that we eat that are carcinogenic.
It’s difficult to avoid these carcinogenic elements when it can be found all around you. Luckily, there are a variety of healthy food choices that contain cancer-fighting properties that can help slow down and eliminate harmful substances in our body, if taken on a regular basis.
The following are just some of these superfoods that decrease your risk of developing cancer.
Broccoli
Cruciferous vegetables like kale, cauliflower and cabbage all have cancer-fighting components. But among all of them, broccoli is the only vegetable in this group that has large amounts of sulforaphane, which is a compound that flushes away toxic cancer-causing chemicals in the body and at the same time, boosting your protective enzymes.
Tea
Usually enjoyed with your favorite cookies or sweets, tea is not only a good alternative for coffee. A piping hot cup of tea is rich in kaempferol, a type of flavonoid that have shown cancer-fighting effects to the body, specifically lowering risk of developing ovarian cancer in women. Tea also blocks free radicals from entering the body through the help of the antioxidant catechin.
Tomatoes
Rich in lycopene, tomatoes are widely-known to combat lung, endometrial, stomach and prostate cancers. The lycopene present in tomatoes help stop the growth and production of endometrial cancer, which is a type of cancer that claims thousands of lives per year.
Berries
Berries as a food group is abundant in phytonutrients that shield the body from cancer. Berries help fgut the development of cancers such as colon, esophageal and skin cancer.
Ginger
A popular spice known to fight the effects of nausea, ginger has another power under its belt. Studies show that ginger has the ability to kill cancer cells in the body.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a good snack to eat whenever hunger strikes. It has phytosterol, a type of molecule that slows down the grown of breast cancer cells by blocking the estrogen receptors in them. Walnuts help fight breast and prostate cancers.
Garlic
Garlic is a spice known to have many beneficial properties to the body. According to a research done in Iowa, women who get into a garlic-rich diet have a 50% lesser chance of developing colon cancer, compared to women who doesn’t.
Beans
Black and navy beans are said to be able to reduce the development of colon cancer, according to an experiment in rats. The fatty acid butyrate found in beans possess a protective element against certain cancer cells.
Grapes
Grapes contain resveratrol, a rich antioxidant that limits the production of cancer cells in the body. It can also help prevent the spread of these cancer cells in the body.
Whole Grains
Whole grains contain copious amounts of fiber and antioxidants that help lower risks of colorectal cancer. Include a healthy dose of oatmeal, barley, pasta and brown rice in your diet to see these vital effects.