Raising cancer awareness is not solely about joining some marathon, wearing cancer ribbon pins or anything related to activities and events that support victims and survivors. It is basically about staying healthy at all times, in order to prevent suffering from the pain and discomfort brought by cancerous cells.
A healthy diet is an essential part of everyone’s life. This possesses a promise or a high chance of lowering the risk of cancer. What you need to do then is to have a list of the right foods to eat that help prevent cancer. You’ll also learn about the nutrients that your body needs to absorb and fight off cancer cells. The following are about foods and beverages that you need to regularly consume every single day.
Vegetables
Many vegetables from the group green, leafy vegetables are anti-cancer agent. Among them are spinach, lettuce, kale and cabbage. These vegetables have phytochemicals, indoles, and nitrogen compounds, which are good nutrients that help fight off infections, block cancer-causing substances, and inhibit the growth of tumor.
A few cruciferous vegetables are also anti-cancer foods that must be taken regularly. They include broccoli and cauliflowers that consist of indole-3-cabinole, which is a compound that fights off breast cancer, because it basically converts any cancer-forming estrogen into a much healthier substance that consequently becomes protective.
A phytochemical substance found in broccoli is sulforaphane, which is actually produced by glucoraphanin, is proven to prevent other cancer types, including colon cancer and rectal cancer, as this compound stimulates the formation of some enzymes that may stop free radicals, as well as carcinogens, or in other words, avert the spreading of cancer cells or growth of existing tumors.
Other vegetables have high amount of beta carotene. Those are other food types that you need to include in your daily diet. Beta carotene is a familiar type of antioxidant, which is also proven to lower the risk of cancer. This is usually found in carrots and sweet potatoes. So, they are good vegetables to eat that battle a variety of cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, stomach cancer, throat cancer, and mouth cancer.
Mushrooms and seaweeds are also considered vegetables that have anti-cancer compounds. They feature polysaccharides, beta-carotene, beta glucan, protein, fiber, chrorophyll, chlorophylones, and vitamin B12. Some of these essential substances are very helpful in building the immune system, and ultimately fight cancer.
Fruits
Of course, there are fruits that contain nutrients, which help lower the risk of cancers. The top on the list of anti-cancer are avocados, grapefruits, grapes, oranges, lemons, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherry, figs, papayas, and tomatoes.
Avocados contain glutathione, a type of strong antioxidant that is known and proven to attach free radicals. This kind of fruit is able to help prevent or treat cancer, especially liver cancer.
Grapefruits, oranges, and lemons are citrus fruits. They contain some compounds that help prevent the formation of infected cells that can turn into cancer. Among those are beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, and limonene.
Grapes, especially red grapes, are also a type of fruit that reduces the risk of cancer. It consists of antioxidants called bioflavonoids, resveratrol, and ellagic acid, which are compounds that have the ability to block cancer cells.
Berries, which include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, are also good fruits to regularly consume, because of their contents against cancers. For instance, raspberries consist of anthocynanins, a type of antioxidant. Most of berries do have lots of antioxidants, which is why they are great sources of compounds that prevent or kill cancerous cells.
Do not forget just how helpful papayas, tomatoes and figs, too, in fighting cancer. These three fruits are also rich in antioxidants, lycopene, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Seeds & Nuts
Seeds, like flax seeds, and nuts are also a great source of anti-cancer agents. Flax seed, for example, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and they are compounds that prevent certain cancers, which include colon cancer. In nuts, selenium is one of the substances that are found, which help prevent prostate cancer.
Herbs & Spices
In general, garlic is one of the food items that are listed on top against cancer. This features immune-enhancing allium compounds named dialyl sultides, which are studied to stimulate immune cells in fighting cancer. Other herbs, spices and seasoning that are contributors in preventing cancer-causing substances are bell peppers or jalapeno, tapioca (from a cassava plant), turmeric, and rosemary.
Beverages
Aside from foods and ingredients for meals, there are types of beverages that help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Red wine is one sample of beverage that has ingredients in protecting cells from forming into cancer. It has polyphenols, which are antioxidants, that are able to neutralize free radicals, and resveratrol, which also blocks the formation of disease-causing compounds.
Other than red wine, beverages with soy as the main ingredient are also good inhibitor of cancer or existing tumor. This type of drink contains phytoestrogens, which are proven to prevent breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Herbal and green teas are also good choices to drink in preventing some cancer types. Natural ingredients are what these beverages are made of. These include antioxidants, such as polyphenols.
With the different strategies used to raise cancer awareness, living a healthy lifestyle should be the most recommended option. If a person is able to manage with his or her health regime, there is a high chance of lowering the number of cancer cases. With the list provided above, this is the best time for you to start opting for a healthy diet that helps prevent cancer.