IT has plagued many families all over the world. It’s one of the leading causes of death worldwide; millions on its toll. Cancer has led many people to the other side, leaving families and friends in despair.
But it’s a good thing that Mother Nature still provides us with natural ways to fight cancer. Prevention is better than cure, so it’s best to keep diseases away from one’s body, especially cancer, in a healthier way.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s learn more about cancer-fighting food that are known to reduce the risk of cancer. There are lots of fruits and vegetables that offer protective elements that should be the bases of one’s diet. But here are the best of the best—five cancer-fighting food to keep one healthy.
Cruciferous vegetables
These are cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts. They are known to be powerful cancer killers because they have strong antioxidants, like glutathione, and phytochemicals, like isothiocyanates, that are linked to cancer prevention. Not to mention that these vegetables are some of the best vitamin C foods widely available, which means they keep our immune system strong to keep out diseases. Adding one or two kinds of these vegetables to meals daily—be it roasted or soup form or whatever one likes—could help stop cancer cells from polluting one’s body.
Orange-colored veggies and fruits
The bright pigments found in plant food mean that they are filled with phytochemicals, especially carotenoid antioxidants. These are derivatives of vitamin A which are found in many citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, berries, pumpkin, squashes and many others.
One type of carotenoid, and the most researched, is the beta-carotene, which is an essential nutrient for immune functioning, detoxification, liver health and fighting off cancers.
Seeds and nuts
Just two tablespoons daily of these seeds and nuts can help you fight off cancers. Chia seeds and flaxseeds provide fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and a variety of important minerals. Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds as well as walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds are beneficial and full of healthy fatty acids.
Teas
Matcha green tea lovers would rejoice to know that it has the highest percentage of polyphenolic compounds that have been shown to prevent tumor growth and metastasis.
Green tea, as well as black and oolong, has the antioxidant EGCG. Its anti-cancer effects are about 25 to 100 times more effective than vitamins C and E. It has also been reported that EGCG modulates multiple signaling pathways, which results in the low regulation of proteins involved in the invasiveness of cancer cells.