Superfoods: Foods That Prevent Cancer

We are not powerless against cancer.  New research pops up on a daily basis telling us of familiar old foods and some brand new ones that we can eat to protect against developing cancer.   For the sake of succintness, let me begin by saying that you want to eat fiber, and that the best fiber is composed of fruits and vegetables.  

Yes, pomegranates are powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer, but so are blueberries which are prized even among the superfoods category in which it's placed.  They are rich in amhocyanidins, compounds which may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Name some more common and uncommon fruits and vegetables and you can be sure they work to protect against cancer.  Carotenoids, present in significant amounts in vegetables and fruit, protect against lung cancer.

To eat healthfully, experts say a good rule of thumb is to fill 2/3 of your plate with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans and 1/3 or less with animal foods. Look for recipes for casseroles, stews and stir fries that use meat almost as a condiment.

A diet high in fiber,  and this includes vegetables,  protects against cancer of the bowel.

In fact, according to U.S.-based The National Cancer Institute (NCI), serious diseases that are linked to what we eat kill an estimated three out of four Americans each year. These diseases include heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

But while the foods you eat can hurt you, they can also help you. And not surprisingly, fruits and vegetables are "All-Star foods" when it comes to protecting yourself against cancer.

Foods you gotta love:

Research shows that diets most protective against cancer are predominately plant-based. Here are just a few ways food can help in the battle against cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale) contain two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin that may help decrease prostate and other cancers.

Foods that contain folate such as liver, spinach, beans, broccoli, oranges, lettuce, avocado, and asparagus are thought to help protect against cancer of the pancreas. Avocados are also rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body. They also provide even more potassium than bananas.

Spinach does so with one of the richest sources of the antioxidant lutein.  It is also rich in beta-carotene which protects against cancer as well.  

Pomegranates are powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer.  

Other superfoods that inhibit the growth of cancer cells:

Tomatoes - Dr. Oz can't stop telling Oprah's audience the miraculous anti-cancer properties of this superfood.  They are full of lycopene, an antioxidant that reduces the risk of prostate, breast, lung and other cancers and has heart protecting effects.  Research shows the absorption of lycopene is best when cooked with olive oil.

Onions, chives, leeks and garlic may help prevent stomach cancer.  Garlic also has immune-enhancing allium compounds that appear to increase the activity of immune cells that fight cancer.  One researcher I read online said that if he had to depend on only one food to keep him cancer free it would be garlic.

Foods that contain folate such as liver, spinach, beans, broccoli, oranges, lettuce, avocado, and asparagus are thought to help protect against cancer of the pancreas.  Avocados are also rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body. They also provide even more potassium than bananas.

The betacarotene found in carrots may help reduce a wide range of cancers including lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestine, bladder, prostate and breast. (Some research suggests beta carotene may actually cause cancer, but it has not proven that eating carrots, unless in very large quantities - 2 to 3 kilos a day - can cause cancer.) Sweet potatoes also contain many anticancer properties including beta-carotene.

Certain types of mushrooms such as shitake, maitake, and reishi are thought to help build the immune system and prevent cancer cells from multiplying.

Fruits are also thought to provide protection against cancer. Grapefruits, like other citrus fruits, help to rid the body of carcinogens. Red grapes contain bioflavonoids, powerful antioxidants that work as cancer preventives. Like red wine, they are also a rich source of resveratrol, which inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth. Papayas are thought to reduce absorption of cancer-causing nitrosamines from the soil or processed foods. Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are also thought to contain many cancer preventing properties.

Other Superfoods:

*Tea - Black or green, tea is a superfood as long as it is freshly brewed and not from a jar or can.  Drinking tea is the easiest no-calorie way to avoid  cancer. But green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant.   Researchers in Spain and the U.K. have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

*Watercress  - The University of Ulster work suggests it cuts DNA damage to white blood cells,  considered to be an important trigger in the development of cancer. Watercress appears to raise levels of beneficial compounds, and cut levels of harmful compounds in the blood.  

*Broccoli  - Few foods measure up to broccoli for cancer- fighting potential. Broccoli is rich in sulforaphane, an antioxidant linked with a reduced risk of a number of cancers, especially lung, stomach, colon and rectal cancers.   They also have anti-inflammatory properties, and we know that an important factor in reducing the risk of disease is to decrease inflammation.  

*Tumeric, found in curry powder and also sold separately, helps suppress and destroy the cancer cells in multiple myeloma and pancreatic cancer.

*Selenium, a mineral, found in many multivitamins, is a strong anti-cancer deterrent, especially against prostate cancer.  It is found in brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and fish.

*Garlic - No list of superfoods is complete without garlic.  It may lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  It also may contain chemicals capable of destroying cancer cells.  

*An apple's skin contains large amounts (about 4 milligrams) of a compound called quercetin.  This is an antioxidant that prevents harmful oxygen molecules from damaging cells.  This helps prevent changes in the cells that can lead to cancer.

*Asparagus, like many of the green vegetables, offers powerful protection against cancer.  One reason why is folate.  Studies have shown that those with the most folate in their blood are the least likely to get cancer.

*Another protectage substance in asparagus is gluthatione.  This small protein is a powerful antioxidant.  Asparagus ranks first of the vegetables for gluthatione content.

*Barley is a very rich source of the antioxidants tocotrienols which protect the body from free radicals and hence from cancer.  They are more powerful than vitamin E.  

*Basil is now believed to play a role in preventing cancer.  The research is still preliminary.  Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey, regularly test culinary herbs such as thyme, basil and tumeric looking for reduction of the risk of cancer.  Some believe the very low breast cancer rate in Japanese women may be due to the large amount and variety of herbs they use in their cooking.

Diets high in mono-unsaturated fat and high in vegetables and fruits may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

More foods oods that prevent cancer:  beans, beets,, brussels sprouts, buckwheat, bulgur, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, celery, cherries, cranberries, currants, fiber, fish, flavonoids, flaxseed, greens, guavas, isothiocyanates, lemons, limes, milk, monoterpenes, nuts, oats, okra,olive oil, oranges, parsnips, peas, phenolic compounds, phytonutrients, pineapple, potatoes, pumpkin, rhubarb, rice, saponins, sea vegetables, soy foods, spices, wheat, yucca.