Do You Know the Foods That Can Help Prevent Cancer?

While there is no magic food or diet guaranteed to cure or prevent the occurrence of cancer, but certain lifestyle factors - including your diet - can make a great difference in reducing the risk of developing cancer. Adopting the right diet and having some foods, in particular, can be really helpful.

Foods that you can include in your diet:

• Garlic contains sulfur compounds that stimulate the immune system’s natural defences against cancer and may have the potential to reduce tumour growth. Studies suggest that garlic can reduce the incidences of stomach cancer.

• Broccoli is a cancer-preventing superfood. Microwaving broccoli destroys 97% of the vegetable’s cancer-protective flavonoids. So, steam it, eat it raw as a snack, or add it to soups and salads.

• A daily dose of citrus fruits may cut the risk of mouth, throat, and stomach cancers by half. Also, it reduces the risk of oesophagal cancer.

• It has been found that people who eat four or more servings of fish per week were nearly one-third less likely to develop blood cancers, such as leukaemia, myeloma, and non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. Other studies have shown a link between eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and tuna, as well as shrimp and scallops) with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer in women.

• Kiwi has cancer-fighting antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and copper.

• Healthy monounsaturated fats (like those in avocados and its oil) help the body better absorb anticancer antioxidants, such as lycopene and beta-carotene.

• Bean sprouts are a rich source of sulforaphane, one of the most potent anticancer compounds. Sprouts contain 50 times more sulforaphane than mature beans.

• Bran, one of the richest sources of dietary fibre, is the indigestible outer husk of wheat, rice, oats, and other cereal grains. Its high fibre content may reduce the risk of colon and other obesity-related cancers.

• Cabbage contains bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals that hinder tumour growth.

• Dates are higher in total polyphenols than any of the most commonly consumed fruits or vegetables. They grow in deserts, and the harsh environment causes polyphenols to provide protection from oxidative stress to the palm fruit. The polyphenols, along with vitamin B6 and fibre, may help prevent certain types of cancer.

• Bioflavonoids, carotenoids, and other cancer-fighting compounds are abundant in cooking greens. They also contain indoles, compounds that can lessen the cancer-causing potential of estrogen and induce production of enzymes that protect against the disease.