According to the American Cancer Society, on average, more than one in three people in the United States will develop cancer at some point in their lives. And they say many of these cases are potentially preventable, including making changes to your diet.
Scientists have a good idea of which foods you should avoid to reduce your risk of cancer, such as red and processed meats, “fast” or processed foods, alcohol and sugary drinks. But knowing what with Eating isn’t always simple, said Johanna Lampe, a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.
Dr. Many nutrition studies rely on people accurately remembering what they consumed up to a year ago, Lampe said. It’s hard to understand how foods alone can affect your health when they’re part of a larger diet, he said, adding that your lifestyle, environment, hormones and genes may also play a role.
Nigel Brockton, vice president of research at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., said no food alone can prevent cancer. But following a healthy diet seems to reduce the risk, he said.
Here are some foods that experts say are worth adding to your plate.
Broccoli and its Cruciferous Cousins
Dr. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage are rich sources of isothiocyanates, plant compounds that help our cells clear toxins and repair themselves and are crucial for cancer prevention, Lampe said.
He added that broccoli sprouts, for example, are rich in the isothiocyanate sulforaphane, which can strengthen our body’s natural defenses against daily damage to cells. The compound has been associated with protection against several types of cancer, including prostate, breast, bladder and colorectal cancer.
Research shows that consuming more than four or five servings of cruciferous vegetables per week is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and other chronic conditions.
Tomatoes and Tomato-Based Products
Research shows that tomatoes have long been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer, thanks to their abundant stores of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color.
But Nancy Moran, an assistant professor of nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said lycopene may be just one of many compounds in tomatoes that help defend against prostate cancer. Limited research has found that lycopene may also protect against other cancers, such as breast, lung, and colorectal.
Dr. Processing tomatoes by cutting or cooking them helps us absorb lycopene more easily than eating them raw, Moran said. It is also beneficial to consume tomatoes with oil. So eating them cooked with sauce or a healthy oil like olive oil can help increase the health benefits you get from them.
Beans and Other Legume Varieties
Common types of beans, such as black and kidney beans, and legumes, such as chickpeas, dried peas, and lentils, are not only high in protein. Dr. They are also great sources of fiber, which is crucial for gut and immune health, Brockton said.
Fiber is also linked to the prevention of colorectal cancer. Dr. Bacteria in our gut turn fiber into fuel for the cells lining the colon, keeping them healthy and less likely to turn into cancer cells, Brockton said.
Henry Thompson, director of the Cancer Prevention Laboratory at Colorado State University, said that in animal and human studies, consumption of beans (and other legumes such as chickpeas and lentils) has been linked to preventing obesity, which in turn is linked to several factors. cancers. An ongoing human clinical trial is testing whether eating canned beans reduces the risk of cancer.
Dr. The protective benefits of fiber appear after eating about 30 grams per day (or about the amount in two cups of black beans), according to Brockton.
Hazelnuts, Especially Walnuts
Tree nuts are rich in healthy fats, protein and fiber, and studies have found that those who consume them have a reduced risk of various types of cancer, especially those of the digestive system.
Walnuts, in particular, contain extremely high levels of plant compounds called ellagitannins, which are converted by our gut bacteria into metabolites that can reduce cancer’s ability to grow and multiply.
Dr. Gastroenterologist, who performed colonoscopy for humans in clinical studies investigating the benefits of walnuts for colon health at UConn Health. John Birk said the “walnut colon” was easy to spot. The lining of the colon wall “has a healthier appearance, kind of a bright reflection of the light shining on it from the endoscope,” he said.
Research shows that eating a handful of nuts a day is linked to health benefits.
Fruits
Fleshy berries like strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates and black raspberries are full of antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, which help protect cells from stress and DNA damage that can increase the risk of cancer. Plant compounds called anthocyanins give berries their colorful hue and anti-inflammatory heft; Dr. Reducing inflammation is important because it’s “a huge driver of cancer,” Brockton said.
Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Maine, said there is a growing body of evidence showing that certain compounds in fruits may help reduce cancer’s ability to develop, grow and multiply.
For the most anti-inflammatory benefits, aim for about a half to one cup of fresh or frozen (and ideally organic) berries per day, she said.
Garlic
This pungent allium contains high levels of allicin, a sulfur-containing compound responsible for garlic’s strong odor and cancer-fighting abilities.
In a long-term study of more than 3,000 people living in a region of China known for high rates of stomach cancer, researchers found that for every 2.2 pounds of garlic participants consumed per year, their risk of stomach cancer decreased by 17 percent. develop the disease. That works out to about five cloves of garlic per week, said Wen-Qing Li, a cancer epidemiologist at Peking University Cancer Hospital and author of the study.
Stomach cancer, while trending downward in the United States, is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide.
Other studies, mostly non-human, have suggested possible links between garlic consumption and reduced risks of other types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer.
Dr. According to Li, consuming garlic raw (e.g. into oil for salad dressing or in guacamole) will help “keep the flavors and chemicals inside alive.”
Nikki Campo is a freelance writer in North Carolina.