Cancer Fighting Foods

Let’s get one thing straight right from the start – no food can protect you from cancer.

However, a variety of foods can help you strengthen your immune system and make you healthier overall, which reduces the likelihood that you will contract cancer.

Cancer experts at Odonate are creating medication which helps combat one of the most vicious and dangerous cancers for women – breast cancer, but they also believe that it is better to prevent the illness than to treat it.

Here’s what they suggest you change in terms of your diet to bolster your body’s defense against cancer.

Food Can Fight Cancer Directly

Some substances which we ingest with our food can directly fight cancer, including several vitamins and minerals.

However, the overwhelming majority of the positive effect that food has on our ability to resist cancer is indirect.

Coffee

Coffee has gone back and forth between a miracle drink which helps our bodies become healthier and a demonized substance which is poisoning us and causing irreparable harm.

The research into coffee is still ongoing, but what we do know today is that it is very rich in antioxidants, compounds which help our bodies fight cancer cells.

It is also rich in riboflavin, a variety of vitamin B, as well as in caffeine, a stimulant which energizes our bodies in moderate quantities.

Tea

While on the subject of drinks, tea is also touted as a beneficial drink in keeping your body healthy. Not only is it rich in caffeine, but it also contains a number of other compounds which have been linked to higher resistance to cancer and other similar illnesses.

Furthermore, several important minerals, including manganese can be found in tea, which makes it an important natural source of this mineral.

Keep in mind that this refers to green, black, oolong, and white tea coming from the tea plant, rather than herbal teas. These refreshing beverages may have beneficial effects of their own, but are not a part of the study which discovered these important benefits of tea.

Dark Greens

The family of similar vegetables including spinach and kale contain a number of important substances including carotenoids and fibers.

Carotenoids have been strongly linked to increased resistance to the cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, fibers have long been lauded as beneficial to the health of the lower gastrointestinal tract, particularly the colon.

The iron, which is abundant in dark green leafy vegetables is just an added bonus which has not been linked to any kind of cancer, but is still important for the overall health.

Garlic

Even though a lot of people can’t stand it due to its pungent smell, it is undeniable that garlic is a tiny bomb of health benefits.

It is rich in flavonoids, substances which are known for their anti-carcinogenic properties, as well as in a particular carbohydrate which promotes the growth of good bacteria in the colon, thus further fighting colon cancer.

Tomatoes

You may not have thought of tomatoes as cancer-fighting food, but they are rich in a variety of antioxidants and carotenoids, not to mention a hefty dose of various vitamins and minerals.

Soy

Even though soy has been negatively portrayed from time to time, there is no denying that it is chock full of useful chemicals.

Some of the most promising in terms of fighting cancer are certainly phenolic acids which have been shown to prevent the spread of cancer cells and sphingolipids, a compound which regulates cell growth and death, promoting the self-destruction of abnormal and potentially cancerous cells.

Fighting cancer is not a short-term commitment and it means adopting some changes in your lifestyle including (but not limited to) your eating habits.

However, keeping your cancer risks low and your general health much better are a worthwhile cause.