If you’ve had cancer, or know someone who has, you understand the importance of nurturing and protecting the body from developing this horrible disease. While there isn’t yet a foolproof method to prevent cancer, you can make lifestyle changes to keep your body healthier(opens in a new tab). We suggest starting with your diet and add cancer-fighting foods into your daily meal plan. Eating these foods will not only help decrease your risk of cancer, but will also give you the energy and strength to look and feel better as you go throughout your day. Here are 5 cancer-fighting foods that we recommend to add into your diet.
Steamed Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most powerful foods for cancer prevention. It has a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals. Add steamed or raw broccoli into salads, pasta dishes, or sprinkle on top of pizza.
Blackberries
Blackberries make a sweet and delicious snack. While all berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients, blackberries stand out because they contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep new blood vessels from forming, which could potentially feed a cancerous tumor. Blackberries taste great picked fresh off the plant, in fruit salads, or in cobblers.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a fantastic source of lycopene. This is what gives a tomato its red color. Lycopene has also been known to stop endometrial cancer cell growth. Slice up a fresh tomato to munch on, add it into salads, or enjoy tomato sauce on pasta and pizza.
Garlic
Many people use garlic as a spice to flavor food. It’s a good thing because the phytochemicals in garlic have been proven to halt the formation of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens formed in the stomach. Garlic is delicious when used to flavor meats and veggies.
Black Beans
Black beans are in the legume family. When you eat them, you increase the levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Use black beans as a simple side dish, or incorporate them into burritos or rice dishes.
