Some doctors believe that cancer is a preventable disease. They say that the various forms of cancer may be caused by bad lifestyle choices, including smoking, lack of exercise and a bad diet. Changing just a small part of your lifestyle can go a long way toward decreasing your risk. Add certain foods to your diet to stave off or avoid cancer---and boost your overall health.
Garlic
The use of garlic to prevent and treat cancer traces its origins to the 1950s when the effects of garlic were tested on mice with cancer. The study found that treated mice lived almost three times as long as untreated mice.
The two compounds in garlic that may have this effect are allyl and sulfur. When these two combine, they may prevent the growth of tumor cells in the body. Garlic has been found to especially helpful in preventing prostate, stomach and colon cancers.
Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy green vegetables are part of a class of food known as superfoods. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and provide the body with much needed nutrition. Dark leafy greens are filled with antioxidants and carotenoids (such as beta carotene), which help the body get rid of cancer causing toxins.
Grapes
Other antioxidant-filled fruit are grapes. They contain flavonoids, well known for their antioxidant properties. Much like the leafy greens, these rid the body of free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can lead to cell damage and tumors. Grapes also contain resveratrol, which has been found to slow the growth of and prevent prostate cancer.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseed are seeds from the flax plant which is normally cultivated for its fiber. The seed, however, contains a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial for the prevention of cancer. Another study on mice with cancer found that those who were given flaxseed saw tumor shrinkage. The researchers also found that they had fewer new tumors. Flaxseed can be found in many foods such as multigrain breads, cereals and muffins, as it is a compound in flour.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best foods to help prevent cancer due to their lycopene content. It is an antioxidant that is found in several vegetables, giving them their red color. As tomatoes are the best source of lycopene, adding them to your diet can help prevent many cancers, including prostate, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, esophagus, breast, mouth and cervix.
