What you eat—and don’t eat—has a powerful effect on your
health, including your risk of cancer. Without knowing it, you may be eating
many foods that fuel cancer, while neglecting the powerful foods and nutrients
that can protect you.
With modern lifestyles, people are exposed to multiple
carcinogenic agents on a daily basis. It is hence no wonder that cancer rates
are soaring. To keep far away from this terrifying disease, below is a list of
anti-cancer foods that cannot be ignored.
1. Flavonoid-Rich Berries
These berries include currants, cherries, cranberries,
hawthorn berries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. As
powerful antioxidants, flavonoids can be more potent than traditional antioxidants
like vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc. And antioxidants are
well-known to be crucial in the prevention of cancer. So pop a berry or two
daily as a snack, rather than the nutrition-less sweets, for optimal cancer
protection
2. Turmeric
Love curry?
Curry is one of the delicious foods that protect against
cancer, if it contains turmeric. This is because turmeric contains the
phytonutrient, curcumin, which has been found to be anti-inflammatory and
cancer-inhibiting.
3. Cruciferous Vegetables
These vegetables include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, kale, cress, horseradish, kohlrabi, mustard, radish and
turnip. They are beneficial because they contain the phytonutrient,
glucosinolates, which has been found to detoxify certain carcinogens and help
lower cancer risk, especially colon cancer.
4. Garlic
Garlic contains about 200 biologically active compounds,
such as sulfur containing amino-acids, glutathione and cysteine, that have
powerful protective functions against cancer formation, growth and metastasis.
For the best effect, garlic should be eaten freshly chopped and raw. But if the
smell and taste of raw garlic is really intolerable, it could be lightly
stir-fried with vegetables, or boiled in soups.
5. Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren't only tasty to eat, they can also protect
one from cancer. At least some mushrooms can. Like the reishi (Ganoderma),
shiitake and maitake, which the Chinese and Japanese have been using for ages
to boost immunity, protect against as well as treat cancer.
6. Yogurt
Various species of probiotics (eg. Bifidobacterium lactis)
present in yoghurt have been found to improve immunity and detoxify many
carcinogens, including hormones, meat carcinogens and environmental toxins.
7. Spinach
Many people formed their impression of spinach from watching
the cartoon Popeye as a kid. But is this green food as wonderful as it is
portrayed to be?
Long reputed for increasing power and energy, spinach is
also an anti-cancer food because of its richness in chlorophyll and carotene.
Besides protecting one from cancer, it is also rich in iron, folic acid,
vitamins and minerals, as well as the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (which has
anti-aging properties).
If there's only one green vegetable to be eaten, then it
must be spinach.
8. Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber in plant foods are important not only for healthy
bowels, they are also important for preventing colorectal cancer. Fiber
facilitates the movement of food through the digestive tract, so there is less
time for any carcinogens in one's food to be absorbed, and less carcinogens are
produced by the "rotting" food in the gut as it passes through.
Whole grains (e.g. unpolished rice), beans, seeds, lentils
and vegetables make rich sources of fiber, so be sure to include them in the
daily meals.
9. Bee Propolis
Propolis is a substance produced by bees to protect
themselves and their hives against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Rich
in bioflavonoids, vitamins and amino acids, it has been found to be
immunity-enhancing and cancer-preventing.
Source : foodmatters
