If you’re looking to improve your health and add some of the best anti-cancer foods to your diet, StudyFinds analysed ten expert websites, creating a Top 5 list based on the top recommendations across these sites.
Berries: Berries are one of the best anti-cancer foods you can add to your diet. Use them to top salads or make desserts, or eat them alone as a delicious snack. Medical News Today explains “Berries are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers.” Furthermore “Berries are high in anthocyanins, plant pigments that have antioxidant properties and may be associated with a reduced risk of cancer,” says Healthline.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Consumer Reports finds that “cruciferous vegetables, a group that also includes brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and turnips, get their bitter taste from isothiocyanates. These compounds reduce inflammation and deactivate cancer-causing chemicals.” These types of vegetables don’t taste as good raw or on their own, so it’s best to chop them up and add them to stir-fry or other cooked and seasoned dishes. Cruciferous veggies also have healthy amounts of vitamin C, which helps shield healthy cells from free radicals.
Apples: An apple a day just might keep the doctor away. “Apples contain flavonoids and polyphenols which help fight cancer,” writes HealthXchange. “Regular apple eaters have a lower risk for lung cancer as well as certain types of breast cancer,” adds Prevention. Be sure to eat the skin if you want the full benefits of the flavonoid quercetin, which has been associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers.
Tomatoes: They have anti-cancer properties, thanks to glycoalkaloids, which are naturally-occurring compounds found in the fruit. Tomatine from tomatoes can help support the body’s cell cycle regulatory processes, which in turn can help the body support itself and kill cancer cells. Lycopene also helps give tomatoes a major health boost. According to Food Network “Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which has been shown to help protect against prostate, breast, lung and stomach cancer.” Eat tomatoes with healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, or nuts to increase absorption.
Tumeric: This orange spice is a relative of ginger. You’ll often find it in “wellness” shots or other immune elixirs for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. “Turmeric is a spice well-known for its health-promoting properties. Curcumin, its active ingredient, is a chemical with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even anticancer effects,” writes Healthline.
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