6 Cancer Fighting Superfoods

The cure for cancer is in your refrigerator..."All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD. Dr. Béliveau is a profressor at the University of Québec at Montreal and also the author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

We should try to get five to nine daily servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables - and the short list should include as many as possible of these special sources of cancer fighting nutrition...



1. Broccoli
Cruciferous vegetables (the crisp, water-filled veggies like cauliflower, cabbage, kale...) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is unique in that it also includes sulforaphane, a particularly potent element that that hellps maintain the body's protective enzymes and helps to flush out toxic compounds. Recently, a study at the University of Michigan found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells in mice — those that ultimately become cancer cells that grow together to form cancerous tumors.

Reduces Incidence of: stomach, bladder, breast, liver, lung, prostate, and skin cancers

Recommendation: Eat as much as you can.  Every culture has its staple foods (like rice for the Asian cultures, olive oil for the Greeks or corn meal for those in South Africa). Consider making brocolli a staple food in your home.




2. Tomatoes
The red color of tomatoes comes from a carotenoid called lycopene, according to Béliveau. Lycopene has been shown to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study published in Nutrition and Cancer. 

Reduces incidence of: endometrial, stomach, prostate and lung cancers

Recommendation: Inteerestingly, cooked tomatoes provide more absorbable lycopene than fresh ones.  So eat more tomatoes in your cooked meals (like in pasta sauces and such).




3. Berries
All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. Blueberries, black raspberries contain a great deal of phytochemicals called anthocyanins. According to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine in The College of Medicine at Ohio State University, these anthocyanins slow down the growth of pre-cancerous cells and inhibit the growth of new arterial blood vessel to supply those cells.

Reduces incidence of: skin, colon, oral, and esophageal cancers

Recommendation: A half-cup serving of berries a day is a great source for all the anthocyanins you need.


4. Walnuts
Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells' growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Reduces incidence of: breast and prostate cancers

Recommendation: Hardman's research found that an ounce a day of walnuts yields great benefits.



5. Beans
Beans are a great source of butyrate, a fatty acid that has been shown to reduce cancer cell growth.  A Michigan State University study found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats and another study publsihed in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans helped to prevent breast cancer in rats.

Reduces Incidence of: breast and colon cancers

Recommendation: A half-cup of legumes a few times a week is a very beneficial addition to your dietary choices.


6. Garlic
Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to inhibit creation of nitrosamines, which are cancer causing agents formed in the gastro-intestinal tract when you consume nitrates, a common chemical preservative in prepared foods. The Iowa Women's Health Study found that women that ate higher amounts of garlic had as much as a 50 percent lower risk of certain colon cancer than those who ate little to no garlic.

Reduces Incidence of : stomach, esophagus, breast, and colon cancer

Recommendation: Crush, then chopped cloves of fresh garlic should be added to your foods whenever possible, and, of course, appropriate for the recipe.  Note that crushing the garlic first releases particularly beneficial enzymes.