Cancer is a disease which can hit anyone unexpectedly, and even keep growing in your body without you being aware of it. Many people are detected with cancer at the last stage when the cure is not possible. The chemotherapy and various medicines are available to fight cancer but they too can stop having an effect on the patient after some time, plus they have side effects too. This is why many doctors suggest having anti-cancer foods so that you can be safe from cancer in the first place. The foods that are anti-cancer can also help in curing some cancers if diagnosed timely.
Various anti-cancer foods are richly packed with antioxidants and are helpful in making the immune system stronger. The cancer-fighting foods are generally veggies or fruits. Adding these foods that fight cancer will help in fighting cancers of mouth, stomach, pharynx, colon, and lungs. In this post, we shall share a list of 13 best anti-cancer foods.
Anti-Cancer Foods
1. Berries
Berries are one of the top foods on the anti-cancer diet food list and are rich in antioxidants. Studies have shown that the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, and others in this family do work against the human cancers effectively. The American Institute for Cancer Research promotes the use of cranberries and blueberries as cancer-fighting foods.
The blueberries are known to reduce the oxidative stress, which is helpful in cancer-fighting. It also stops the production of the pro-inflammatory molecules and increases the cell death or apoptosis of cancer and tumor-causing cells. Blueberries can help fighting colon cancer, oesophagal cancer, and breast cancer. Scientists are doing more research on the blueberries to find the exact amounts of consumption.
2. Oregano, Rosemary, Cloves, And Bay Leaf
Various herbs like oregano, rosemary, cloves, and bay leaf are also amongst the best cancer-fighting foods. Studies have shown how effective the rosemary can be for fighting cancer. For the cervical cancer bay leaf and oregano have proven to be very helpful.
Cloves have a compound named eugenol which is cytotoxic and it helps in killing the cancer cells. The eugenol is good for various cancer cells and recommended especially for oesophagal cancer.
There are other herbs too which are good anti-cancer foods.some of the examples are ginger, cinnamon, curry leaves, caper and cumin. Phytochemicals are present in these herbs and are good for stopping the growth of the cancer cells. They are also known to inhibit the growth of the tumours.
3. Garlic
Garlic belongs to the allium family and has abilities to make your body immune to the cancer cells. If there is any presence of the cancer cells inside the body, then it can also help in slowing down their growth rate. It is an ancient herb and is rated amongst the natural anti-cancer foods. There are organosulfur compounds present in the garlic which work against cancer and tumour.
Garlic is helpful for stomach tissues, prostate, bladder, and the colon cancer. The diallyl disulfide is also present in garlic which is helpful for skin, lung and colon cancer. As per the research on garlic and cancer, it has been found that the ajoene and diallyl disulfide also fight the leukaemia cells.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric which also known as curcumin is the best for fighting the blood and stomach cancer. The stomach cancer is caused because of the carcinogenic bacterium and the turmeric can help in fighting it and protect the body from its adverse effects. Turmeric is a spice and because it has anti-inflammatory properties, it is amongst the best cancer-fighting foods, and even the South Asian countries have used turmeric to treat inflammation since a very ancient time.
5. Yoghurt, Kimchi, And Other Probiotics Foods
We all are aware of how probiotic foods produce good bacteria in our body which helps in keeping the gut healthy but it has other benefits too. The probiotics like yoghurt and kimchi are good anti-cancer foods. The probiotics have been tested on both animals and humans and have proven to be effective against the colon cancer. The probiotics acidify the colon with the help of short-chain fatty that acids produced by them. This lowers the pH and lower is the amount of pH in your colon, lesser is the chance of you getting the colon cancer.
6. Whole Grains
The refined grains have been in the market for a while, but as people are getting more aware and cautious about cancer, they are switching back to the whole grain diet. The whole grains are amongst the foods that are anti-cancer. They can help in fighting cancer as they provide nutrients like good fibre, lignans, and polyphenols, which help your body get strong to fight cancer. The protease in the whole grains helps in stopping cancer from growing.
It would be a great idea if you add whole grains to your daily diet. Some whole grains you can try are oatmeal, bulgar, brown rice, millet, and barley.
7. Prunes And Plums
Patients suffering from colon or breast cancer should have plums as they help in the cure. Prunes or dried plums have heavy amounts of anti-cancer agents like chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids. As per the tests that were done in labs, the phenol cells present in the plums and prunes can kill the cancerous cells as soon as they come in contact with each other. They do not have any kind of side effects on the body and the healthy tissues. They are recommended for the patients suffering from breast cancer.
8. Moringa
Moringa is a medicinal plant and is in on the anti-cancer diet food list. It has been tested on human tumour cells and it slowed down the growth of cancer cells and also destroyed them. It was found that Moringa has phenolics like kaempferol and quercetin which make this medicinal plant a part of the anti-cancer foods. It is used for the treatment of the blood cancer or leukaemia and ovarian cancer.
9. Fatty Fish
The doctors have been recommending the fatty fish for their anti-inflammatory properties and the benefits for the heart but they are also amongst the anti-cancer foods. The fatty fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which are polyunsaturated fats. These are found on fishes like tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel. The researchers who are taking observations to find the reasons and preventions for cancer. As per their data, it can be seen that people who eat fish as a staple food are less prone towards breast, prostate, and colon cancer.
If you are vegan then you must get the omega-3 fatty acids from various seed, nuts, and oils.
10. Seeds And Nuts
Seeds like flax seeds are anti-cancer foods and have great benefits for the women. The flaxseeds can slow the growth of prostate cancer. For breast cancer, they can kill the cancerous cells up to 45%. The flax seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fibre, phytoestrogens, and lignans.
Some examples of the nuts that are anti-cancer fruits are hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and pistachios. These nuts are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants.
11. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cabbage, sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli are good for preparing salads but they have a lot more benefits. They are anti-cancer foods as they contain sulforaphane which is used for the detoxification of the chemicals that can cause cancer. The cruciferous veggies help in curing and preventing and curing cancers of breast, bladder, lungs, and prostate.
12. Tomato
Tomato is one the most easily found anti-cancer food. It is rich in antioxidants and has other health benefits too. Having tomatoes in your diet makes you less vulnerable to cancers. Tomatoes have lycopene which kills the cancer cells, improves the body’s detoxification process, and also hinders the growth of cancer.
If you do not consume tomatoes directly, you can replace it with the tomato sauce. Men with caucasian skin should introduce a lot of tomatoes and tomato sauce in their diet to prevent prostate cancer.
13. Carrot
People suffering from leukaemia should have carrot juice as it can be helpful in comforting the adverse effects of this cancer. As per some studies on carrots, it was found that they have rich quantities of polyacetylenes and the falcarindiol-3 and falcarinol acetate, which kill cancer-causing cells.
There are different kinds of carrots and all should be eaten for the best nutrients. The black carrot is also amongst the anti-cancer foods and can help in treating the brain cancer and has no side effects even.
These were the top 13 foods for curing cancer. Go through the questions people frequently ask about the anti-cancer foods to get some extra tips.
FAQs
1. Is It Important to add all the anti-cancer foods to the diet?
There are more than 100 anti-cancer foods and adding all of them to your diet will not be possible, but it is not even necessary, as all are a substitute for each other.
2. Are the anti-cancer foods as effective as medicines?
Well, the natural cures are effective but take time. The medicines with chemicals work fast but have side effects too. Having the natural vegetables and fruits that can cure cancer should be consumed by all. Even if one is not suffering from cancer should not forget to add these foods to their diet, as they will become more immune towards cancer by having them.
3. Is Organic food more effective and healthy?
Yes, one should prefer the organic food. The other food is treated with sprays that have chemicals and can be a reason for developing cancer. So, having organic food is the best.
Read Next – All You Need To Know About Skin Cancer!
Related Posts
