In the Nature vs. Nurture debate, there’s a clear winner when it comes to cancer prevention. While up to 10% all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, the remaining 90-95% percent have their roots in environment and lifestyle. One of these lifestyle factors is having the right diet, containing all the vitamins and antioxidants you need to guard your wellbeing against cancer. So, which foods should you be including in your diet?
Firstly, apples are a good source of cancer protection as they contain fibre and vitamin C. However, as most of apples’ antioxidant power come from phytochemicals – quercetin, flavonoids, and triterpenoids – found in the peel, make sure you don’t take the skin off! Cherries are also full of fibre and vitamin C, as well as potassium. Cherry juice, dried cherries and fresh cherries have a high antioxidant content in particular, but there is a still significant amount of antioxidants in frozen and canned varieties.
When it comes to cancer-fighting beverages, crack out the caffeine! Coffee is an excellent source of the B vitamin riboflavin, as well as antioxidant phytochemicals. However, the exact level to which coffee benefits your wellness will depend on how the beans are grown and how the coffee is prepared. For tea lovers, green tea contains potent antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids which are great for cancer protection. In fact, green tea has been shown to lower your risk of bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic, and oesophageal cancers.
Whole grains are important for cancer protection as they are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and hundreds of phytochemicals, which protect cells from the types of damage that may lead to cancer. Studies have also shown that the phenols, lignans (which is a kind of phytoestrogen) and saponins found in whole grains work to lower your risk of cancer. When you’re eating your whole grain sandwich, don’t forget to add tomatoes! The phytochemical lycopene found in tomatoes has particularly attracted the attention of prostate cancer researchers because lycopene tends to concentrate in tissues of the prostate. However, laboratory studies have also shown tomato components to prevent the proliferation of several other cancer cells types, including breast, lung, and endometrial.
