No single food can protect you against cancer, but the right mixture of foods may help in keeping cancer away. You must add at least two-thirds of plant-based foods and no more than one-third of animal protein to your diet. A diet filled with various vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and other plant foods helps lower the risk for many cancers. Many foods contain beneficial compounds that could help decrease the growth of cancer. Several studies show that a higher intake of certain foods could lower disease risk.
This blog will help you find top cancer-fighting food that may lower your cancer risk.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are essential for health and should form a significant part of your daily diet. They are an essential source of vitamins and minerals and fiber. Fiber can protect against bowel cancer. Fruit and vegetables contain natural substances, such as antioxidants and cancer-protective effects. They may protect against cancers such as bowel, mouth, throat, and stomach cancer. Fruit may also protect against lung cancer.
However, fruit and vegetables are probably most helpful in helping to maintain a healthy body weight as fruit and vegetables are low in energy (kilojoules or calories) and high in fiber, which allows you to feel fuller and may help you eat less. Overweight and obesity are in fact risk factors for 13 types of cancer, including bowel cancer, oesophagus cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreas cancer, endometrium cancer, and breast cancer(after menopause).
Try to add colorful fruits and vegetables to your meal. They contain more nutrients and lower your risk of cancer. Secondly, they also help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Try to add various vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange.
Cereals and Whole Wheat
Cereals and whole wheat are good sources of folate. Naturally occurring folate is an important B vitamin that may help protect against colon, rectum, and breast cancers. Try to add more cereals and whole grains to your meal. Whole grains are a high source of fiber, which can help you stay lean and lower your cancer risk. Dietary fiber can help you maintain a healthy weight and help reduce your cancer risk. As per a study, nearly five lakh people found that consuming more whole grains may minimize colorectal cancer risk, making it a top item in foods to fight cancer. Oatmeal, barley, and brown rice are all examples of whole grains.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are nutritious food. They give several health benefits and should be included in your food. Tomato is the epitome of a cancer-fighting superfood. Some studies have revealed that eating tomatoes can reduce the risk of several cancer types, including prostate cancer. Studies also suggest that processed tomato items such as juice, sauce, or paste increase the cancer-fighting latent. Tomatoes contain lycopene-a antioxidant phytochemical that also helps prevent heart disease. It is also a good source of vitamins A, C, and E — all enemies of cancer-friendly free radicals.
Green Tea
Green tea contains antioxidants that have been connected with the prevention of many ailments, including cancer. It is also regarded as a potent cancer fighter drink. Some studies suggest that having green tea might reduce the risk of some types of cancer. And in some studies, green tea was associated with lower risks for bladder, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. It also helps protect against the metastasis of certain kinds of cancer. It has chemicals called polyphenols that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This chemical may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. A cancer patient can drink up to three cups of green tea per day to experience the benefits.
Grapes
Grapes have natural chemicals that have the power to stop the spread of cancer cells. Especially purple and red grapes contain resveratrol with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Different studies prove that it prevents the kind of damage that can trigger the cancer process in cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, resveratrol may help keep cancer from starting or spreading. Lab studies suggest that it limits the growth of many kinds of cancer cells.
Beans
Beans are beneficial in fighting against cancer. They contain a variety of potent phytochemicals that may protect your body’s cells against damage that can lead to cancer. It has been found in different studies that these substances slowed tumor growth and prevented tumors from releasing substances that damage nearby cells. Some types of beans, especially pinto and red kidney beans, are excellent sources of antioxidants and should be included in your anti-cancer diet. Beans also contain fiber, which may help reduce your cancer risk.
Cruciferous vegetables
In some epidemiological studies, cruciferous vegetables have also been associated with a lower lung and colorectal cancer risk. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in nutrients, vitamins C, E, and K; folate; and minerals. They also are a good source of fiber. It helps protect against cancer. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, and kale. These cabbage family members are an excellent food for fighting cancer. These vegetables protect your body against colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and cervix cancer. They have anti-inflammatory effects.
Curcumin
Curcumin is extracted from Turmeric, a common spice used in Indian cooking, and is widely known for its medicinal properties. It has cancer fighter potential food. Lab studies show it suppresses the transformation, proliferation, and invasion of cancerous cells for many cancers. It is a natural anticancer agent which inhibits tumor growth. It reduces inflammation caused by treatments like chemotherapy. Curcumin also reduces fatigue due to cancer treatments. It lessens pain and many other side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy, such as mucositis, mouth and throat ulcers, swallowing problems, nausea, and vomiting.
Raspberries and Blueberries
Raspberries have a phytochemical called ellagic acid. This powerful antioxidant may fight cancer in several ways at once, including deactivating certain cancer-causing substances and slowing the growth of cancer cells. The antioxidants in blueberries markedly have the capability to stop the growth of cancer cells. Antioxidants help fight cancer by ridding the body of free radicals before they can do their damage to cells.
Conclusion
No food can protect you against cancer completely. But by adding the above cancer-fighting food to your diet you can reduce the risk of developing cancer. Apart from being beneficial in fighting cancer, they also help in maintaining weight and safeguard you from a variety of other diseases.
