Top Ten Cancer Fighting Foods
These recommendations are from the National Foundation For Cancer Research.
1. Peppers, crisp, sweet and brightly colored, are a great source of cancer fighting vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid and potassium. Red-hot capsaicin, which lends a kick to chili peppers, may offer protection against lung cancer by blocking damage to your genes from the carcinogens in food and cigarette smoke.
2. Crucifers including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, brussels sprouts, bok choy, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips and watercress, all include powerful phytochemicals that help stave off cancer by stimulating protective enzymes, which block carcinogens from entering cells and suppress tumor growth. These foods help guard against bladder cancer.
3. Berries, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are rich in vitamin C and folic acid and are high in fiber and potassium.
Berries also contain phytochemicals and are strong antioxidants.
4. Citrus fruits are rich in limonene, which seems to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells.
5. Tomatoes. Lycopenes are found in tomato-based pasta sauce, tomato paste, ketchup and salsa and contain powerful antioxidant properties.
Lycopene has an apparent ability to reduce the risk of prostate and certain other cancers, and it plays a key role in the body's defense against aging and many degenerative diseases.
Heating tomatoes is the key to breaking down the fibrous material inside tomatoes and releasing the lycopene.
6. Olive oil, extra virgin, which is mechanically pressed without any heat or chemical alteration, is one of the healthiest types of fat and includes phytochemicals with antioxidants and vitamin E.
Olive oil may help prevent breast and colon cancer.
7. Apples, especially the peel, contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals and have been proven to inhibit the growth of both colon and liver cancer cells.
8. Pumpkins, sweet potatoes and acorn squash are all described as virtual battalions of cancer-fighting carotenoids, particularly beta carotene.
9. Garlic, onions, leeks and shallots block carcinogens with organosulfides, the chemicals that give these vegetables their pungent odor.
10. Beans, nuts, and whole-grain breads and cereals can shield you from pancreatic and stomach cancer. They boast plenty of fiber to speed waste out of the body, giving harmful substances less time to damage the cells lining your digestive system.
