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Superfoods to help boost your diet and keep you strong and healthy
Although we do not advocate any particular diet plan to increase health and reduce cancer risk, it is important to review your diet and consider increasing the following foods if they are currently absent from your diet:
Broccoli, which was once thought to be toxic for humans, is now known to be capable of breaking down cancer causing substances as well as strengthening the immune system. One of the glucosinolates, sulphoraphane, kills the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, thought to cause stomach cancer. Ideally you should consume broccoli about four times per week. It is better to steam it instead of boiling, as fewer of the nutrients are lost. Tenderstem broccoli is the best variety, as it has five times the glucosinolates of standard broccoli.
Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that lowers the risk of breast, lung, bladder, colon and prostate cancers as it counters the effects of free radicals which can damage cells and DNA. Tomatoes are also very high in vitamin C, which not only makes them a healthier choice than oranges, but locally grown tomatoes are much better for the environment.
Combining tomatoes and broccoli in the same meal can help fight prostate cancer, due to the way the compounds in each vegetable work together to attack cancer cells. Dutch researchers also found that lycopene slowed tumour growth by 50 per cent. Research has suggested that 22mg of lycopene should be consumed each day, which is approximately the amount present in two tablespoons of tomato purée. Lycopene is better absorbed when consumed in processed products, so canned is better than fresh. Tomato soups, bolognaise sauces and even baked beans in tomato sauce are all good sources of lycopene.
Chilies are another superfood that is often overlooked in the west. Capsaicin, which gives peppers their scorching taste, has been found to kill cancer cells by attacking their energy-producing centres (mitochondria) without harming any of the surrounding healthy tissue. Dr Timothy Bates, who carried out the research at Nottingham University, says: “This may explain why people living in countries such as Mexico and India, who traditionally eat a diet that is very spicy, tend to have lower incidences of many cancers prevalent in the West. We appear to have discovered a fundamental weakness with all cancer cells.”
Foods from the cabbage family are believed to reduce the risk of bowel cancer and breast cancer as they are packed with B vitamin folate, which may prevent bowel cancer in some cases. Researchers at Lancaster University, UK, have found that a compound called 13C, which is found in cabbage, sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, could reduce risk breast cancer occurring. When the compound was used in conjunction with chemotherapy, cancer cells died because it made them more vulnerable to the drugs. It is thought that at least two servings a day are beneficial to health.
Onions are packed with flavonoids, the antioxidants that break down damaging free radicals. Some varieties, such as the Western Yellow and pungent yellow onion, are the most effective in inhibiting the growth of liver and colon cancer cells. Scientists at Cornell University in New York concluded that “no one knows yet how many daily servings of onions you’d have to eat to maximise protection against cancer, but our study suggests that people who are more health-conscious might want to go with the stronger onions rather than the mild ones.”
Carrots are believed to help reduce the risk of developing cancer because they contain falcarinol, a naturally occurring pesticide that protects them from fungal diseases. Scientists from Newcastle University, found that falcarinol supplements reduced the likelihood subjects developing full-scale tumours. Research is still being carried out to determine if certain types of carrots are better at fighting cancer than others. A word of warning though, in large doses falcarinol is toxic. Recommendations are to eat one small carrot a day.
Blueberries are a well known superfood, and they contain a compound called pterostilbene. Research has suggested that pterostilbene can fight colon cancer, which is the second most fatal cancer in Britain. It also contains salvestrols, compounds believed to destroy cancer cells before they turn into malignant tumours. Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the US Department of Agriculture found that subjects given pterostilbene had 57 per cent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colons than the control group. Pterostilbene also seemed to reduce the growth rate of cancerous cells, as well as inhibiting certain influential genes involved. They said that it would not cure the cancer, but help prevent it. A cup of blueberries a day is beneficial to health.
Apples contain anthocyanin, which is a chemical that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. A study at Cornell University in 2005 found that breast cancer tumours in subjects were reduced by 39 per cent when given the equivalent of three apples a day. It has been shown that the regular consumption of apples aids in the reduction the incidence of bowel cancer, while a super-apple has just been bred in New Zealand for its cancer-fighting properties. One apple contains as many antioxidants as three 500mg vitamin C tablets.
Watercress has been found in recent studies carried out by Reading University to boost levels of lutein and beta-carotene, which fight cancer-causing free radicals. It is supposed to be particularly beneficial to smokers. However, for it to be most beneficial a whole packet of raw watercress needs to be consumed raw every day.
Green tea is the only drink on this list. Green tea has been found to have many health qualities. It is packed with antioxidants and is believed to cut the risk of lung cancer. Researchers found that it works on a protein in cells called actin, which is involved in chemical changes in the early stages of lung cancer. Green tea encourages the reverse to happen to the actin. In Japan, where green tea consumption is high, the incidence of lung cancer is lower than in America, despite the fact that smoking rates are similar. It is recommended that five cups are drunk each day to gain the health benefits. Research from a Korean University also showed that people that drank at least two cups of green tea each day had increased bone density, and were less likely to suffer from brittle bones or other problems with weakened bones and joints in older age.
Adding these different foods to your diet may appear a daunting task, but many of them can be prepared in the form of a smoothie and drunk. Replacing you usual tea/coffee beverage with green tea, drinking fruit smoothies for breakfast, and stir fries packed with onions, garlic, chilies, peppers, carrots and cabbage, will improve your diet dramatically, and could well reduce the risk of developing cancer later in life.
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