13 Foods That Could Lower Your Risk of Cancer

There is a popular phrase that says, “You are what you eat,” which means if you want to be healthy, you have to be mindful of what you are eating and preferably eat good food. Maintaining good food habits are crucial for your health as it can help you prevent serious ailments like cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. Cancer, especially, is one of the diseases that diagnosis has shown affects people with poor dietary practices.

To avoid the risk of cancer, you should avoid alcohol, processed meats, and red meat. However, it is sometimes not possible to completely eliminate these food items from your diet. It is, however, advisable to eat certain foods that can help you lower your risk for cancer.

13 Foods That Can Lower Your Cancer Risk

Carrots

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene. Consuming a healthy amount of carrots can help you improve your cancer risk factor. In particular, carrots protects you against stomach cancer. Research has shown that carrots have reduced the risk of stomach cancer by 26%.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that has sulforaphane which is a compound that can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Studies have shown that consuming a good amount of broccoli can reduce the risk and size, and spread of breast cancer cells by up to 75%. The study in question was a test-tube study.

Beans

Beans are an essential part of your diet in many cultures, beans are filled with fibre, and they are suitable for your diet in general. One of the lesser-known benefits of consuming enough beans is that it has shown effectiveness in reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an important spice that has a plethora of health benefits. It has been scientifically noticed that cinnamon has effects in reducing the spread of cancer cells in your body. A test-tube study has been able to confirm the claim as mentioned above.

Berries

Berries naturally contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant compound that has been noticed to reduce cancer risk. Studies have shown people with colorectal cancer that consumed bilberry extracts for seven days showed a reduction in the spread of the cancer cells.

Nuts

Nuts have been proven to reduce the risk of fatality of certain types of cancer. Nuts are particularly effective in reducing the risk of certain types of cancer as well. Especially colorectal, endometrial, and pancreatic cancer.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a popular spice that has noted health benefits when consumed in correct amounts has good antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have shown that turmeric, especially the compound curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, helps reduce the spread of colon cancer cells.

Olive Oil

Olive oil has many health benefits, which is why it is a part of the staple diet in many cuisines. Multiple studies have shown that high amounts of consumption of olive oil can reduce the possibility of breast cancer. Olive oil can be easily added to your diet, so make sure to add it to your diet for its health benefits.

Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are rich in healthy fats, and they can be a very healthy part of your diet. It has shown significant results in a study in preventing and decreasing the growth of cancer cells. In various cases, it has been noticed that having a healthy amount of flaxseeds in your diet can kill cancer cells in your body as well.

Citrus Fruits

Various studies conducted by medical professionals worldwide have found that citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit have been linked to having a lower risk of cancer. Mainly the studies have found that having a few servings of citrus fruits each week helps to reduce the risk of cancers in the upper respiratory tract and digestive system. But, citruses are in no way involved in the development of cancer.

Fatty Fish

Fishes are rich in Omega-3, and adding them to your diet is an excellent option for you to lower your cancer risk for certain types of cancer. The healthy fats in fish have been proven to reduce the risk of cancer in the digestive tract. Fishes also are rich in vitamin D, which also has plenty of health benefits.

Garlic

Garlic has an active ingredient called allicin which has been shown to be able to kill cancer cells. These results have been found in test tube studies. The consumption of garlic has a direct correlation to the risk of certain types of cancer. Garlic has especially been effective against prostate cancer.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are red in colour because of a compound called lycopene. This compound also has cancer-preventive properties that have been proven effective against prostate cancer. Tomatoes can be easily added to your diet, and they can have great proven benefits for your health.

Conclusion

All the foods mentioned above have proven benefits against the risk of cancer. However, they should not be used as a fail-safe to continue other habits such as smoking and drinking. It is much more important to get rid of smoking and drinking habits to protect yourself from cancer risk.