6 Cancer -fighting Superfood

I read this article about Cancer fighting foods .I think it was in Yahoo news. Thought it would be good to share

6 cancer-fighting superfood                                                                                                                                                               By Leslie Barrie

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the
studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their
phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD,
chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at
Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and
vegetables—especially these six superstars.

Broccoli

All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain
cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount
of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's
protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey,
ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also
targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and
bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it
wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.


Berries

All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. But black
raspberries, in particular, contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals
called anthocyanins, which slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep
new blood vessels from forming (and potentially feeding a cancerous tumor),
according to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at The Ohio
State University College of Medicine.

Helps fight: colon, esophageal, oral, and skin cancers

Your Rx: Stoner uses a concentrated berry powder in his studies but
says a half-cup serving of berries a day may help your health, too.


Tomatoes

This juicy fruit is the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that
gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. And that's good news, because
lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study inNutrition
and Cancer
. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.


Helps fight: endometrial, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: The biggest benefits come from cooked
tomatoes (think pasta sauce!), since the heating process increases the
amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.


Walnuts

Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown
to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells'
growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University
School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Your Rx: Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best
benefits, Hardman's research found.


Garlic

Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of
nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in
certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative,
Béliveau says. In fact, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women with the
highest amounts of garlic in their diets had a 50 percent lower risk of certain
colon cancers than women who ate the least.

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps
release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato
sauce while it simmers.

Beans

A study out of Michigan State University found that black and
navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in
part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate,
which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth.
Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans
particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

Your Rx: Add a serving—a half-cup—of legumes a few times a week
(either from a can or dry beans that've been soaked and cooked) to your usual
rotation of greens or other veggies.


 

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