According to the American Cancer Society no one knows exactly what combination of vitamins and nutrients reduces cancer risks or prevents cancer, but the best advice is to eat foods from mostly plant sources and include them as a large part of every meal. No single food can protect you against cancer, but eating the right combination of foods will strengthen the immune system and offer the best defense in cancer prevention. Below is a list of some of the best cancer fighting foods.

Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts contain the cancer preventive agent brassinin which increases the antioxidant levels within our cells. These foods also contain enzymes that detoxify carcinogens.

Curciferous vegetables also contain high levels of sulforaphane, a chemical that has been linked in preventing breast, pancreatic and lung cancer.

Orange vegetables and fruits: Foods such as carrots, pumpkins, oranges, and squashes contain carotenoids, a very strong antioxidant that includes beta-carotene.

Apples contain a natural chemical called quercetin that has been proven to reduce the risk of both heart disease and cancer.

Grapes, along with peanuts and mulberries, contain resveratrol which studies have shown possesses cancer prevention properties. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition, July 2009, concludes that grapes economically and efficiently can reduce the chances of a variety of cancers. According to the authors, “Grapes and grape-based products are one such class of dietary products that have shown cancer chemopreventive potential and are also known to improve overall human health.”

Tomatoes contain lycopene, a strong antioxidant that protects against prostate cancer.

Legumes: Legumes contain substances called saponins that help in preventing cancer cells from multiplying. Legumes are also high in fiber, which helps to eliminate cancer related toxins and, like antioxidants, helps destroy free radicals.

Whole grains: Wheat, rice, oats, and barley, and the foods made from them, are also high in fiber. They are a good source of several of the B vitamins and contain compounds called lignans. Lignans have been shown to play a protective role against breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Nuts and Seeds: These foods are rich in essential fatty acids and phenolic acids, both of which protect against prostate cancer.

Green tea: Green tea contains many active ingredients important to cancer prevention including polyphenols and flavonoids, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidant-rich green tea offers protection against cancers of the liver, lung, skin and digestive tract. Dr.Hirota Fujiki of the National Cancer Center Research Institute in Tokyo states that green tea is “the cheapest and most practical method for cancer prevention available to the general public.”

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Tagged as: cancer, Chronic Disease and Prevention