Guide : Best Foods That Prevent Cancer

Cancer is one of the deadliest killer diseases in the universe. Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Hungary, and the USA are the first 5 countries in the world with the highest rate of cancer. And the number keeps increasing as the years go by.

The truth is, no single food can protect you from having cancer per se. You have to eat a combination of varieties of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and other plant-based foods to even stand a chance against cancer.

Aside from the fact that what you eat can help you fight cancer, you should also know that taking the wrong diet can increase your risk of developing cancer and other health complications. Scientists believe that cancer development can be heavily influenced by diet.

We did some research and came up with this list of 10 foods that can lower your risk of cancer.

1. Carrots

Eating carrots can lead to a significant decrease in developing cancer. From a scientific analysis, carrots may not have equal effects on all types of cancers. For instance, carrots can reduce the risk of stomach cancer by 26%. This is probably the most notable of them all.

Another study was conducted on the effects of carrots on prostate cancer. And it was discovered that eating carrots can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by 18%.

That’s not all.

More research was carried out and it was discovered that smokers who did not eat carrots were 3 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared to those who do. If eating carrots can have this much effect on the stomach, prostate, and lungs, then it can influence other forms of cancer as well.

2. Berries

There are a lot of healthy benefits berries offer to the body, and one of them is fighting and reducing the risk of developing cancer. The active component of berries that makes it such a powerful fruit is anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are plant pigments that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

A group of scientists carried out a 7-day study to find out just how effective berries can be in fighting cancer cells (if at all…). The result was actually pretty amazing. A number of people with colorectal cancer were treated with bilberries extract for just 7 days. At the end of the treatment, it was discovered that the growth of cancer cells in their bodies have been reduced by 7% (in just 7 days).

3. Cinnamon

When it comes to cancer, cinnamon can decrease the spread of cancer cells and induce their deaths. This effect of cinnamon on cancerous cells was discovered after a test tube study. This benefit, in addition to its other health benefits like reduction of blood sugar and anti-inflammatory properties, is what you’ll benefit from making cinnamon a part of your diet, especially if you have cancer.

In another test tube study, cinnamon was reported to have the ability to suppress the growth of head and neck cancer cells.

If you have a history of cancer in your family, you need to take cinnamon to reduce the possibility of developing cancer yourself.

4. Turmeric

Turmeric looks somewhat like ginger, with great health benefits like increasing anti-oxidant capacities in the body, keeping inflammation at bay, improving brain functions and lowering the risk of brain-related health conditions. Its effects on cancer can be linked to an active ingredient known as Curcumin.

Curcumin is a chemical with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. This chemical is very effective in reducing the possibility of developing cancer. A study was carried out on over 40 patients with possible cancerous lesions in the colon. These patients were treated with 4 grams of curcumin per day for 30 days. At the end of it all, the number of lesions present was reduced by 40%.

5. Apples

Delicious apples are great for fighting cancers as well. Sounds so good, right? It’s very unlikely that there’s anyone that does not like apples. Kids might not want to eat their vegetables and some fruits, but apples are not one of such. Just one a day, and there will be no need to see the doctor.

The thing about apples that make them so effective in fighting cancer is a compound known as polyphenols. This compound has some promising anti-cancer properties, in addition to cardiovascular diseases, infections, and inflammations.

6. Fatty Fish Oil

So much has been said about fish oil and its benefits. It is so effective that including just a few servings of fish oil in your meal per week can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Higher intake of fish has been associated with low risk of digestive cancer, and colorectal cancer. These benefits of fatty fish are made possible as a result of its high content of certain nutrients, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid. These components can protect against and reduce the risk of cancer.

7. Garlic

If you know garlic, you’ll know it’s a superfood. It has great health restorative properties that can even restore cancerous cells to normal cells. Garlic contains a lot of healthy nutrients, one of which is allicin, a very effective component for fighting cancer cells.

In multiple test tube studies, allicin has been shown to kill off cancer cells. So, patients with certain types of cancer will benefit greatly from eating a lot of garlic.

8. Walnuts

First of all, let’s put it out there that all nuts have cancer preventive properties. This is in according to a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research. However, walnuts seem to be more effective of all nuts.

The active substance in walnuts that makes it very effective in fighting cancer is pedunculagin. When you ingest walnuts, it supplies your body with this substance in a form that is of little or no benefit to the body. The body then goes ahead to metabolize this substance into a more beneficial form known as Urolithins, which may play a role in preventing breast cancer.

9. Beetroot

A few years ago, there was a hype about beetroot being able to cure cancer. That’s not completely true like many people believed at the time. The truth is that beetroot has some anti-cancer properties that can help reduce the risk of developing or the advancement of cancer. It helps, but it cannot on its own cure cancer.

Sometime in the 1950s, a renowned medical professional used raw beetroot to achieve an amazing result of remission in cancer patients. This was one of the earliest findings of the anti-cancerous properties of beetroots.

10. Beans

Just like every other food item on this list, green beans may reduce the risk of developing cancer. It is high in fiber, which is great for fighting colorectal cancer. This is according to a scientific report carried out by reliable personnel.

In another study involving rats, it was discovered that black beans can block the development of cancer cells by up to 75%.

What you eat can greatly affect many aspects of your health. Your diet can either be beneficial or detrimental to your health. People who are likely to develop cancer need to eat healthy all the time. The right diet just might help you live a long, happy, healthy, and cancer free life.