Fighting
Cancer by the Plateful
No single food can prevent
cancer, but the right combination of foods may help make a difference. At
mealtimes, strike a balance of at least two-thirds plant-based foods and no
more than one-third animal protein. This "New American Plate" is an
important cancer fighting tool, according to the American Institute for Cancer
Research. Check out better and worse choices for your plate.
Fighting
Cancer with Color
Fruits and vegetables are
rich in cancer-fighting nutrients -- and the more color, the more nutrients
they contain. These foods can help lower your risk in a second way, too, when
they help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Carrying extra pounds
increases the risk for multiple cancers, including colon, esophagus, and kidney
cancers. Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green, red, and orange
vegetables.
The
Cancer-Fighting Breakfast
Folate is an important B
vitamin that may help protect against cancers of the colon, rectum, and breast.
You can find it in abundance on the breakfast table. Fortified breakfast
cereals and whole wheat products are good sources of folate. So are orange
juice, melons, and strawberries.
More
Folate-Rich Foods
Other good sources of folate
are asparagus and eggs. You can also find it in beans, sunflower seeds, and
leafy green vegetables like spinach or romaine lettuce. The best way to get
folate is not from a pill, but by eating enough fruits, vegetables, and
enriched grain products
Pass
Up the Deli Counter
An occasional Reuben
sandwich or hot dog at the ballpark isn't going to hurt you. But cutting back
on processed meats like bologna, ham, and hot dogs will help lower your risk of
colorectal and stomach cancers. Also, eating meats that have been preserved by
smoking or with salt raises your exposure to chemicals that can potentially
cause cancer.
Cancer-Fighting
Tomatoes
Whether it's the lycopene --
the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color -- or something else isn't
clear. But some studies have linked eating tomatoes to reduced risk of several
types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Studies also suggest that processed
tomato products such as juice, sauce, or paste increase the cancer-fighting
potential.
Tea's
Anticancer Potential
Even though the evidence is
still spotty, tea, especially green tea, may be a strong cancer fighter. In
laboratory studies, green tea has slowed or prevented the development of cancer
in colon, liver, breast, and prostate cells. It also had a similar effect in lung
tissue and skin. And in some longer term studies, tea was associated with lower
risks for bladder, stomach, and pancreatic cancers.
Grapes
and Cancer
Grapes and grape juice,
especially purple and red grapes, contain resveratrol. Resveratrol has strong
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In laboratory studies, it has
prevented the kind of damage that can trigger the cancer process in cells.
There is not enough evidence to say that eating grapes or drinking grape juice
or wine (or taking supplements) can prevent or treat cancer.
Limit
Alcohol to Lower Cancer Risk
Cancers of the mouth,
throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, and breast are all linked with drinking
alcohol. Alcohol may also raise the risk for cancer of the colon and rectum.
The American Cancer Society recommends limiting alcohol to no more than two
drinks per day for men and one for women. Women at higher risk for breast
cancer may want to talk with a doctor about what amount of alcohol, if any, is
safe based on their personal risk factors.
Water
and Other Fluids Can Protect
Water not only quenches your
thirst, but it may protect you against bladder cancer. The lower risk comes
from water diluting concentrations of potential cancer-causing agents in the
bladder. Also, drinking more fluids causes you to urinate more frequently. That
lessens the amount of time those agents stay in contact with the bladder
lining.
The
Mighty Bean
Beans are so good for you,
it's no surprise they may help fight cancer, too. They contain several potent
phytochemicals that may protect the body's cells against damage that can lead
to cancer. In the lab these substances slowed tumor growth and prevented tumors
from releasing substances that damage nearby cells.
The
Cabbage Family vs. Cancer
Cruciferous vegetables
include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale.
These members of the cabbage family make an excellent stir fry and can really
liven up a salad. But most importantly, components in these vegetables may help
your body defend against cancers such as colon, breast, lung, and cervix.
Dark
Green Leafy Vegetables
Dark green leafy vegetables
such as mustard greens, lettuce, kale, chicory, spinach, and chard have an
abundance of fiber, folate, and carotenoids. These nutrients may help protect
against cancer of the mouth, larynx, pancreas, lung, skin, and stomach.
Protection
from an Exotic Spice
Curcumin is the main
ingredient in the Indian spice turmeric and a potential cancer fighter. Lab
studies show it can suppress the transformation, proliferation, and invasion of
cancerous cells for a wide array of cancers.
Cooking
Methods Matter
How you cook meat can make a
difference in how big a cancer risk it poses. Frying, grilling, and broiling
meats at very high temperatures causes chemicals to form that may increase
cancer risk. Other cooking methods such as stewing, braising, or steaming
appear to produce fewer of those chemicals. And when you do stew the meat,
remember to add plenty of healthy, protective vegetables.
A
Berry Medley with a Punch
Strawberries and raspberries
have a phytochemical called ellagic acid. This powerful antioxidant may
actually fight cancer in several ways at once, including deactivating certain
cancer causing substances and slowing the growth of cancer cells.
Blueberries
for Health
The potent antioxidants in
blueberries may have wide value in supporting our health, starting with cancer.
Antioxidants fight cancer by ridding the body of free radicals before they can
do their damage to cells. Try topping oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt, even salad
with blueberries to boost your intake of these healthful berries.
Pass
on the Sugar
Sugar may not cause cancer
directly. But it may displace other nutrient-rich foods that help protect
against cancer. And it increases calorie counts, which contributes to
overweight and obesity. Excess weight is also a cancer risk. Fruit offers a
sweet alternative in a vitamin-rich package.
Don't
Rely on Supplements
Vitamins may help protect
against cancer. But that's when you get them naturally from food. Both the
American Cancer Society and the American Institute for Cancer Research
emphasize that getting cancer-fighting nutrients from foods like nuts, fruits,
and green leafy vegetables is vastly superior to getting them from supplements.
Eating a healthy diet is best.
