5 Cancer Fighting Foods to Add to Your Diet Today

Cancer is one of the biggest medical problems facing us today, largely because there is just so much we don’t understand about it yet. While some causes can be identified (for example, smoking cigarettes is linked to cancer), some tumors seemingly crop up from nowhere. While there are treatment options, there is no sure cure for cancer.

So, instead of focusing on what we don’t know about cancer, let’s look at what we do know. Generally, leading a healthy life greatly reduces the risk of developing cancer. And one of the most important aspects of healthy living is following a healthy diet. This article will focus on the top five cancer fighting foods that you should incorporate into your diet, so you can say goodbye to those nasty cancer cells and reduce the chance that they will ever develop into tumors.

Food #1: Leafy greens

Since you were young, you were probably told to eat your vegetables. And like most other kids, you probably hated it. Well, your parents had a good reason for forcing all that spinach and kale down your throat – green leafy vegetables are chock-full of nutrients! Not only do they have plenty of vitamins and minerals such as antioxidants, vitamin B and vitamin C, they also have antibacterial and antiviral properties. Most importantly, however, they can inactivate carcinogens and prevent tumors from forming!

Try to include green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, watercress, etc, in your diet. You won’t just gain anti-cancer benefits — these foods are all-around healthy!

Food #2: Berries

Everyone loves berries – strawberries dipped in chocolate, blueberry smoothies, etc. Here’s some good news for you: berries have a certain type of antioxidant that can lower the damage done by cancer-causing free radicals.

Head down to the supermarket and pick up some cherries, raspberries, goji berries or even camu camu berries! You can have a delicious snack while strengthening your body. Plus, adding some extra fruits to your diet will help you get glowing, healthy skin.

Food #3: Tomatoes

Women, listen up! Tomatoes have been proven to be able to stop endometrial and breast tumor growth. They contain a nutrient called “lycopene”, which can be extremely effective in fighting tumors in the lungs, breast, stomach and endometrium (as well as the prostate).

Whip up some homemade tomato pasta sauce — cooked tomatoes are the best for your body, as lycopene is absorbed better after being heated.

Food #4: Walnuts

Another superfood for women to take note of – walnuts — can slow tumor growth in breasts. They contain “phytosterols,” a class of compounds that block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, causing their rate of division to significantly slow.

Men, don’t worry! Walnuts, like tomatoes, can also help in fighting prostate cancer.

Aim to eat at least one ounce of raw walnuts a day, particularly if you’re already at risk of developing cancer.

Food #5: Garlic

To make foods have a longer shelf life, unhealthy preservatives are often added. One common food preservative is the nitrites used in cured meats, which are linked to tumor formation in the stomach and intestines. Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to avoid preservatives altogether, so what you can do is eat foods that combat their negative effects. One of the best foods for this is garlic.

Garlic specifically blocks carcinogens produced in the stomach by nitrite preservatives from forming a tumor. It also protects against many other types of cancer. All you have to do is add a little to your recipes – but be sure to crush it first, as this maximizes the amount of helpful enzymes released.

So the next time you’re whipping up a home-cooked meal, why not make a delicious tomato-based pasta sauce with a little garlic and an arugula salad on the side?

Join the conversation. Create a topic in our forum.

---

Guest Blogger – Amelia Robert from fixyourskin.com has a lot of tips, health advice and DIY recipes which can give you great looking skin without any side effects!