Anti-cancer foods

Did you know that your food choices can help you prevent cancer? It is what is known as anticancer foods, and they are much more common than you might think.

Find out what these foods are. But remember that it is not enough with one, but that you have to combine them to notice their effects. The more the merrier.

Vegetables

Vegetables cannot be missing from any eating plan that is considered healthy. This food group is rich in anticancer substances. In addition, increasing your intake of vegetables is an excellent strategy to keep overweight and obesity at bay, two situations associated with many diseases, including several types of cancer.

Green Color

Leafy vegetables have an interesting dose of fiber, folate and carotenoids, key substances to prevent cancer. In consecuense, the consumption of lettuce, kale, chard and spinach is recommended. Due to its contribution of vitamin B9, asparagus are also considered allies in the fight against cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables contain components that can help prevent cancer and other diseasesSo also consider the following foods: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale.

Red

Thanks to lycopene -substance responsible for the characteristic red color of this vegetable- and other substances, tomato can help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Apparently, it is not necessary to consume them whole, but the anticancer power is maintained when it is transformed into juice or sauce, and may even increase in some cases.

Fruit

Orange juice, melon and strawberries provide folate, a B group vitamin that protects against various types of cancer.

Thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, grapes are another great fruit if you want to increase the anticancer power of your diet.

Berries contain really powerful antioxidants, which can both prevent cancer and slow its growth. More research is still needed, but you lose nothing by including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other berries in your diet. The morning is the best time of day to enjoy these foods. Combine them with your breakfast cereals or with your yogurt for lunch.

Seeds

Due to its contribution of folate, sunflower seeds are a great option.

Vegetables

If you want to eat a healthy and anti-cancer diet, legumes are essential. Beans, for example, contain phytochemicals, which can prevent and fight cancer. They also provide folic acid, another substance that is considered to play a key role in preventing this disease.

Cereals

Make sure that the cereals in your diet provide you with folic acid. For it, bet on whole grains and breakfast cereals that are fortified with this important vitamin.

More anticancer foods to consider

Egg

Eggs are a good source of vitamin B9. Consequently, adding them to your eating plan can help you fight cancer.

Green Tea

Is one of the most popular anticancer foods. According to research, this drink can help you prevent several types of cancer, including those of the prostate, colon and liver.

Turmeric

If you are fond of exotic spices, you probably already have a jar of turmeric in your kitchen. And if you still do not use it in your dishes, you should start doing it, since has been associated with numerous health benefits, including fighting cancer.

Foods to avoid

We have seen anticancer foods, but what happens with those that can have the opposite effect. When it comes to preventing cancer through diet, what is included is as important as what is left outside the shopping cart.

En este sentido, the foods with the worst reputation are processed meats. Eating sausage and other foods in excess increases the risk of cancer, especially of the colon and stomach.

Related article:

Processed foods

It is also advisable to control the intake of alcoholic beveragesWith two drinks a day being the limit established by the experts. Abusing alcohol would increase the risk of several types of cancer, including those of the esophagus and liver.

There are many people who displace the consumption of fruit and vegetables in favor of foods rich in sugar. This is not a good idea, since it thus loses the opportunity to obtain nutrients that help prevent this disease. In addition, calorie consumption skyrockets and the risk of obesity increases. Therefore, substitute a part of your sugar-rich foods for fruits and vegetables. Although it also contains sugar, fruit is much better than pastries or ice cream, since, unlike these two, it supposes a good dose of nutrients.

Lastly, whenever possible, bet on gentle and healthy cooking methods, such as steam. And it is that cooking food at high temperatures leads to the formation of a series of substances that would increase the risk of developing cancer.