Power Up Your Plate: Top Cancer-Fighting Foods to Boost Your Health

Cancer is one of the most terrible health issues today, but new research indicates that diet is a big factor in cancer prevention and even recovery. Specific foods are abundant in nutrients, antioxidants, and compounds that have been shown to reduce the possibility of cancer or enhance overall well-being. Add more of these cancer-fighting foods to your meals to help your body ward off the disease and increase its overall well-being. Here is a guide for some of the best cancer-fighting foods you might want to add to your diet.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Probably the best-studied cancer-fighting foods are cruciferous vegetables, namely broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables contain a class of compounds known as glucosinolates. These substances are broken down in the body to other substances that are believed to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. The studies claim that glucosinolates detoxify the body, reduce inflammation, and inhibit the formation of cancerous cells.

Some of the superstars in this list include broccoli, which is a storehouse for sulforaphane. Sulforaphane fights cancer by neutralizing free radicals and promotes detoxification processes in the liver. These can be simply steamed, added to salads, or thrown into soups and stir-fries.

Berries

Berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries - contain antioxidants and vitamins and can be rich in fibers that may affect the risk level of several cancers. These fruits possess anthocyanins, a sort of flavonoid that appears to have almost extremely potent effects as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Anthocyanins reduce cell oxidative stresses that cause a cancerous condition in the body.

In addition to their antioxidant content, berries are also rich in vitamin C, another great immune booster and cancer fighter. Berries can easily be added to your diet as a snack, in smoothies, or even as a topping for yogurt or oatmeal.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are among the richest sources of lycopene, a very strong antioxidant, and has been linked with reduced risks for a number of cancers, most significantly prostate cancer. Lycopene does this by neutralizing harmful free radicals and protects cells from DNA damage. Several studies have found that regular tomato consumption can decrease the risk of prostate, lung, and stomach cancers.

Interestingly, cooking tomatoes makes lycopene more bioavailable to your body. Thus, it's possible to gain more of lycopene from the cooked tomatoes as compared to their raw versions. Adding tomato-based sauces, soups, or stews to your dishes is a straightforward way of elevating the ingestion of this nutrient that fights cancer.

Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries not only for its flavor but also for its medicinal properties. It contains sulfur compounds, such as allicin, that are thought to help prevent cancer by improving the body's ability to detoxify and reduce inflammation. These compounds may also inhibit the growth of cancer cells and slow the spread of tumors.

Garlic has the ability to combat stomach, colon, and oesophageal cancers. Garlic is best in its raw state or lightly cooked and it loses strength with longer time of cooking in the kitchen. There are a few ways you may add garlic, mix it with other substances in your salads or pasta dishes to give them flavor, or incorporate it into your smoothie.

Nuts and Seeds

Examples of nuts and seeds include almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, which are very rich in essential nutrients; fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Such foods contain high levels of vitamin E, which has been shown to have anti-cancer effects by protecting cells from oxidative damage and reducing inflammation.

Walnuts are remarkable in containing high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenolic compounds, which have the potential to fight cancer by limiting the growth of tumors. Some other nut and seed sources include flaxseeds, which contain lignans, a class of compound that in advanced studies has been shown to produce a strong anticancer effect in women and men with breast and prostate cancers. Incorporating some nuts or seeds in a snack or within a meal would encourage a high amount of activity in cancer prevention.

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