12 foods to fight cancer

Many health experts believe that one can prevent and fight cancer by eating right. We can easily beat cancer by changing our life style and food habits.

A 2012 report by the American Cancer Society said that there was ´overwhelming evidence´ that diet and exercise could increase survival and even prevent a cancer returning.

Here are 12 foods that can help you fight cancer.

1: Oily Fish
Fish oil will provide long chain omega-3, a powerful anti-inflammatory in the body that minimizes COX-2 and its abilities to drive localised negative hormones called eicosanoids which cause inflammation - driving cancer and metastases. Omega-3 has been shown to re-lengthen telomeres, which shorten when you have cancer putting the DNA structure at risk and reducing longevity. Fish oils also contain vitamin A, an important vitamin in the fight against cancer (herring, mackerel and salmon are top of the list). Fish oils have been linked to reduced levels of prostate, breast and colon cancer.

2: Carotenoids - Carrots, peppers and greens
Along with apricots, red and yellow peppers, greens like kale and spinach and sweet potatoes, carrots provide anti-cancer carotenoids like beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, as and when required by the body. 1 cup of carrot juice, 2 sweet potatoes, 16 dried apricots and 4 cups of red cherries will each provide 25 mgs. Don´t eat them all at once - people have been known to turn a little orange! A great juice to make yourself involves greens, sweetened by carrots and apples (for quercitin) and beetroot (for anthocyanins) with a helping of calming raw ginger. A real cancer fighting drink!

3: Ginger
Fresh, raw ginger has a number of very important benefits in cancer. It is a terrific anti-inflammatory agent in the body and reduces the effects of COX-2. This produces benefits throughout the body and especially in the gut, reducing rates of cancer spread. It also lowers blood sugar levels, and gingerols have been shown to have effects against prostate, breast, leukaemia and other cancer cells. Grate 5 gms or more of ginger each day into your juices. It is also full of helpful vitamins and minerals and is anti-parasitic.

4: Seeds
Seeds are full of good oils, whole vitamins in a natural form (like vitamin E) and fibre to strengthen your gut flora. People who consume the highest levels of natural fibre have higher immune systems. For example:

Sunflower Seeds
High in zinc and natural vitamin E. Zinc helps vitamin C do its work and accelerates healing time. It is important to a healthy prostate. You need 15 to 25 mgs per day. Five tablespoons of sunflower seeds give you 10 mgs. Sunflower seeds will also provide a little selenium.

Pumpkin Seeds
Can be mixed with the sunflower seeds in your morning muesli. 5 tablespoons will each provide 20 mgs of vitamin E, the ultimate cancer buster, which inhibits cancer cell growth and protects immune cells from free radicals. Vitamin E boosts your immune system´s fighting abilities. The target is 300-600 mgs and is difficult to achieve without supplements.

Sesame Seeds
The unique lignans can reduce blood pressure and lipid levels. Research shows they can fight inflammation and also cancer! Gamma tocopherol vitamin E reduces inflammation around the body. Both sesame and flax lignans are converted to compounds that can arrest oestrogen cancers.

5: Nuts
Six cracked brazil nuts will give you your daily selenium; 100 to 200 mcgs is the goal. Selenium is a very potent anti-cancer agent. Eight slices of wholemeal bread, an organic egg, or a large chicken breast will also be enough.

Walnuts and almonds are a helpful additions to your diet because they contain good oils and high natural fibre. People who eat nuts every day live longer according to research in Cancer Watch.


6: Mushrooms
There’s an enormous body of research evidence now that shows how ‘medicinal’ mushrooms (Shiitake, Maiitake, cordyceps etc) boost the immune system and fight cancer.  Even the button mushroom has cancer fighting ingredients.

7: Tomatoes
Seven to ten helpings per week, especially cooked. According to Harvard research 7-10 helpings a week cuts prostate symptoms by 40% and has an influence on many cancers e.g.: lung; colon; cervix; breast. Lycopene is the prime active ingredient, and 25 - 40 mgs the desired daily dose.

It is also found in strawberries, peppers, carrots and peaches, but one tin of tomato soup has 65 mgs alone. Lycopene helps reduce ‘bad’ fat levels in the blood stream and is a strong antioxidant.

8: Green leafy vegetables
Along with avocado, beans, carrots, apricots, pumpkins, and egg yolk green vegetables will give you folic acid if your gut bacteria are strong. This will help your DNA to replicate properly and protect it during radiotherapy.

400 micrograms is a recommended amount. Folate, biotin, choline and inositol, niacin and vitamin B12 are all B vitamins that help in the cancer fight. Niacin has been shown to kill cancer cells. Egg yolk, greens and whole grains are the best sources.

9: Broccoli
Like other green cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts), broccoli contains fibre which helps eliminate toxins. Moreover, the fibre is rich in galactose, which binds to damaging agents in the intestine, and is one of the favourite foods of good, helpful gut bacteria (as are carrots, apples, chicory and onions).

Broccoli also contains indoles, and especially indole3carbinol which, along with its metabolite DIM, modifies and diminishes aggressive oestrogen action, can modify cellular oestrogen receptor sites, and aids in fighting oestrogen-driven cancers like some breast, prostate, brain and colorectal cancers.

10: Garlic
It is a truly wonderful food. Active ingredients like allicin seem to act to stop the spread of cancer in a number of ways, for example by stopping blood supply formation for tumours.
Garlic also kills microbes and yeasts - after taking drugs and antibiotics the body is often susceptible to these. Garlic is also anti-inflamatory in the body. It has a number of active ingredients. It contains selenium, tryptophan and sulphur-based active agents that attack cancer cells.

11: Beetroot
And cherries, aubergines, plums, red grapes - indeed any purple coloured fruits and vegeatables. They contain anthocyanins (and sometimes also resveratrol). Anthocyanins have been shown to kill cancer cells; Resveratrrol has research supporting its role in fighting certain cancers like blood and brain cancers too.

12: Pulses
Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, kidney beans and even soya beans are a great source of plant protein. Most importantly they release their carbohydrate slowly because of their high fibre content. They reduce blood glucose.

Source : Canceractive