Protect yourself from cancer by adding these anti-cancer foods to your diet.

 

One important thing you can do to lower your risk of getting cancer is to follow an anti-cancer diet.

To lower your chance of getting cancer, the American Cancer Society says to follow the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and eat at least 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruit every day, which is about five servings.

Following this advice lowers the chance of dying from cancer, heart disease, and lung and cardiovascular disease, according to an observational study that tracked 100,000 people for 30 years.

Researchers are also finding that eating foods that stop cancer may be an important part of a diet that fights cancer.

Choosing cancer-fighting foods at the store and during meals may not completely protect you from getting cancer, but it may help lower your risk. Take a look at these anti-cancer food tips:

Take in a lot of fruits and veggies.Some types of cancer may be less likely to happen if you eat a lot of fruits and veggies.

Foods that are high in sugar don’t fit in as much when you eat more plant-based foods. As a snack, eat fruits and veggies instead of processed or sugary foods that will fill you up.

The Mediterranean diet is mostly made up of plant-based foods that fight cancer, like nuts, fruits and veggies, whole grains, and legumes. People who follow the Mediterranean diet pick foods that are good for you, like fish and olive oil over butter and red meat over chicken.

Green tea is good to drink all day.Green tea may be an important part of a diet to fight cancer because it is a strong antioxidant. Cancer-fighting foods like green tea may help keep you from getting skin, breast, lung, esophagus, and liver cancer.

Epigallocatechin-3 gallate, a chemical found in green tea that is safe, is said to stop urokinase, an enzyme that is important for cancer growth.

This cancer-fighting substance is found in between 100 and 200 milligrams (mg) of one cup of green tea.

Take in more peppers.It has been proven by research that the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes may be stronger than vitamin E, beta-carotene, and alpha-carotene. Foods that are high in lycopene may help protect against some types of cancer, like prostate and lung cancer.

Don’t forget to cook the tomatoes; this is the only way to get the lycopene into your body.

Olive oil is good.In countries in the Mediterranean, this monounsaturated fat is often used for cooking and salads. It may also help fight cancer. The risk of getting breast cancer is half as high in Mediterranean countries as it is in the US.

Eat some grapes as a snack.The superantioxidant activin is found in large amounts in the seeds of red grapes.

This chemical fights cancer and is also found in red wine and red grape juice. It may help protect against some types of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases that get worse over time.

Lots of garlic and onions should be used.Researchers have found that garlic and onions can stop the production of nitrosamines. These are strong carcinogens that tend to target the gut, liver, and breasts. In fact, the sulfur molecules that fight cancer are more common in foods that smell strong, like garlic and onions.

Fish is good.Salmon, tuna, and herring are all fatty fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fatty acid has been linked to a lower chance of prostate cancer.

If you don’t normally eat fish, you might want to start doing so as part of your plan to fight cancer. Flaxseed is another food that you can eat to get omega-3s.

Follow these foods that lower your risk of cancer and add them to your diet more often.

 

 

Add Garlic to Your Anti-Cancer Diet

 

Studies have shown that garlic can help fight cancer. Several big studies have shown that people who eat more garlic are less likely to get different types of cancer, especially in the esophagus, stomach, and colon.

Things in the strong bulbs might stop your body’s cancer-causing chemicals from working, or they might stop cancer cells from spreading. A clove a day might help, but no one knows how much you need to eat to avoid getting cancer.

 

Berries Are Foods That Fight Cancer

 

Berries are a great treat that can also help fight cancer. Berries have a lot of powerful antioxidants, which means they can stop your body’s normal process of making free radicals, which can damage your cells.

Berry parts may also help stop cancers from spreading or growing. As part of your plan to fight cancer, grab a handful of your favorite healing fruit, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or any other variety you like.

 

 

Tomatoes May Protect Men From Prostate Cancer

 

A study found that men may be less likely to get prostate cancer if they eat tomatoes. The juicy red fruit can help keep your cells’ DNA from getting hurt, which can cause cancer.

There is a powerful antioxidant in tomatoes called lycopene that is found in very high amounts.

Lycopene may be better absorbed by your body in processed tomato foods like sauce. This means that whole-wheat pasta with marinara sauce could be a tasty way to get your daily dose of foods that fight cancer.

 

Add Cruciferous Vegetables to Your Anti-Cancer Diet

 

Among foods that may help fight cancer, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower may be the best. Parts of these vegetables have been found to protect you from free radicals, which damage the DNA in your cells.

They may also protect you from toxins that can cause cancer, slow the growth of tumors, and make cancer cells die. They taste good and are good for you when you’re trying to fight cancer.

 

Drink Green Tea to Prevent Cancer

 

Catechins are an antioxidant found in the leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. These may help avoid cancer in a number of ways, such as by stopping free radicals from damaging cells.

Catechins in tea have been shown to shrink tumors and slow the growth of tumor cells in the lab. A lower chance of cancer has also been found in some studies of people who drink tea.

Green and black tea both have catechins in them, but green tea has more antioxidants, so if you want to fight cancer, you might want to drink at least one cup of green tea every day.

 

 

Whole Grains Are in the Front Lines Among Foods Fight Cancer

 

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, fiber and antioxidants are just two of the many things that whole grains may help lower your risk of cancer.

A big study with almost 500,000 people found that eating more whole grains may lower the risk of colon cancer. This makes them one of the best foods to fight cancer. Whole grains are things like oatmeal, barley, brown rice, whole-wheat bread and pasta, and oats.

 

 

Turmeric May Reduce Cancer Risk

 

This orange spice is commonly used in Indian dishes. It has a substance called curcumin, which is not the same as cumin, that may help lower the risk of cancer.

The National Cancer Institute says that curcumin can stop some types of cancer cells from spreading in the lab and can also stop the spread of cancer or make tumors smaller in some animals.

This food can help fight cancer and is easy to find in grocery stores. You can use it in many meals to help your diet.

 

 

Add Leafy Green Vegetables to Your Anti-Cancer Diet

 

Beta-carotene and lutein are vitamins that can be found in large amounts in leafy greens like spinach and lettuce. These nutrients can also be found in veggies that are usually cooked, like kale, collard greens, and mustard greens.

For the American Institute for Cancer Research, some lab studies have shown that chemicals in these foods may stop some types of cancer cells from growing.

 

 

 

Grapes Prevent Cancer From Beginning or Spreading

 

Resveratrol is an antioxidant that is found in large amounts in the skin of red grapes. This antioxidant can also be found in grape juice and red wine.

There is evidence that resveratrol may help stop cancer from starting or spreading. It has been shown in lab tests to slow the growth of many types of cancer cells.

 

 

Cancer-Fighting Beans May Reduce Your Cancer Risk

 

A lot of attention is paid to fruits, veggies, and other plant-based foods that are high in antioxidants. However, beans are often unfairly left out of the picture.

Some beans, like pinto and red kidney beans, are great sources of antioxidants and should be part of your diet if you want to fight cancer. The American Cancer Society says that fiber, which is found in beans, may also help lower your risk of getting cancer.