How to Get the Top Ten Cancer-Fighting Foods into Your Diet
We all want to stay healthy and one step ahead of cancer - that’s no surprise. Here are some of the foods you should be eating to do just that:
1. Tomatoes. Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that can reduce your risk of breast, prostate, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Lycopene is concentrated when tomatoes are cooked, so your best lycopene sources are spaghetti sauce, tomato paste and ketchup.
2. Broccoli sprouts. These are sprouts actually developed from broccoli, and they are the only product out there that guarantees consistent levels of sulforaphane GS, a natural compound in broccoli and other cruciferous plants that support our bodies' own antioxidant function. Sulforaphane may reduce your risk of stomach, breast and skin cancer.
3. Berries are very high in antioxidants. They get their mouth watering colors from antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Look for fruits and vegetables with the deepest colors to get the highest concentration of anthocyanins, but they all have properties helpful in fighting colon and esophageal cancers.
4. Soybeans are known for their isoflavones and they help us fight breast and prostate cancer by protecting our cells from estrogen's harmful effects. There are several kinds of isoflavones in soy products, but one, called genistein, may be the best defense against the growth and spread of cancerous cells. However, findings are not conclusive. Be careful about using too much soy in your diet - it can cause hormonal imbalance that stimulates the growth of cancer cells.
5. Tea. Tea has catechins (also called polyphenols), which are the potent antioxidants that fight cancer growth. Catechins work by preventing the cancer cells from dividing, and may reduce your risk of liver, skin, stomach, lung, colon, rectum, liver and pancreas cancers. Green tea's claim to fame is a very powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), but black tea has its own arsenal of cancer-fighting ingredients.
6. Carrots, and any brightly colored vegetables, are all chock-full of beta-carotene.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment12 Comments
Hey Cat, this top ten list is fantastic. Thank you for all the recommendations and explanations on why each food is so good for you. Thankfully I enjoy all of these foods with the exception of pineapple.
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May 22, 2009 - 1:04pmThis Comment
If all this is true, why not create a single pill with all ingredients? Oh yeah, I forget, can't do that or all the desirable health effects would be diminished. This is all well and good and certainly tends to lead to better health, but all the claims made here are totally, completely, 100% opinion .. nothing more. There is no evidence to prove any of it. The same arguments are made to "prove" the existence of visitors from outer space. Yeah right.
June 21, 2009 - 1:08pmAn interesting and potentially helpful list, can you provide references from recognised journals for all the recommendations here. Since these are medicinal and health claims I would like to evaluate the claims made by the use of peer reviewed publications.
June 26, 2009 - 5:12amHow do you expect us to get these foods into our diets when you don't even show us pictures of what these things look like?! How the h3ll am i supposed to know what a 'pineapple' or a 'tomato' look like?
July 8, 2009 - 12:44amDear Cat, I am a doctor and I can say there is nothing like a "cancer-fighting food." Eating food with a high fiber content may be advantegous for some types, but no food can fight cancer. Cancer is not a single disease but it is made up from approx 200 kinds of uncontrolled cellular growth disorders, so you can't "fight" it with food.
No double blind controlled study has established the power of foods as claimed above.
July 27, 2009 - 4:34amI think it is great
December 22, 2009 - 7:37amCat, your article is on point. There are numerous credible sources endorsing a "cancer-fighting" diet, such as the American Institute for Cancer Research (http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=foodsthatfightcancer_home) and the National Cancer Institute position on nutrition and cancer prevention (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition/Patient/...).
June 5, 2010 - 10:05amEvidentally, this article is not for everyone but for those willing to participate in their own wellness and possibly reduce their risk of cancer.
Thank you for your insights and for caring about women's health.
I believe that God chose the right diet for us, if we stick to it we will be healthier-one of the reasons there isn't more research on these foods and supplements is because they don't lend themselves to billions of dollars in profits.
June 7, 2010 - 2:56amAccording to the bible god tells us that shellfish is an abomination so do you really think that your logic with keep you healthy?
February 7, 2011 - 12:18amAlkaline food prevents cancer. Being on a diet rich with the right nutrients that help you build a strong and healthy body, is the only defense that you have against cancer. Make sure you eat and drink healthy alkaline food. http://www.3sdiet.com
November 4, 2010 - 5:19pm