Health
Ten foods that prevent cancer
Have you ever imagined that you could set up an integrated pharmacy to prevent “cancer” and put it at your fingertips and in your home refrigerator?! According to the results of thousands of studies conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research on diet and its potential as a natural weapon to prevent cancer, the result was that the benefits of eating mostly vegetarian food, such as broccoli, berries, garlic and other vegetables, may prevent you from developing cancerous tumors; As a food that is low in calories and fat, it is also rich in antioxidants.
Many experts in this field confirmed their search for the best foods that prevent cancer, including “Jed Fahy W,” a researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his study focuses on how vegetables resist cancer cells, as he says: “Many studies confirm the importance of Antioxidants such as vitamin (C), lycopene, and beta-carotene for humans, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, studies have considered that people who eat meals rich in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of cancer, because those meals contain a variety of chemicals Plant known as "phytochemicals", which protect the body's cells from harmful compounds in food and the environment, as well as prevent cell damage.
"A healthy diet can prevent cancer, and that means lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, lean meats and fish," said researcher Wendy Demark and Infred, professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In the presence of a number of fruits, vegetables and foods, these experts have selected, based on specialized research in this field, a list of 10 essential foods, which you can be keen to eat starting from now in order to protect yourself from the dangers of cancer.
1- Whole grains:
By whole grains we mean the grains that we all eat, such as wheat and legumes such as beans, lentils, soybeans, cowpeas and sesame, and the benefit of these grains lies in the fact that they contain saponins, a form of carbohydrates that neutralize enzymes in the intestine that may cause cancer, and it is a phytochemical that prevents Cancer cells from dividing, and in addition to this, they support the immune system and help in wound healing.
Eating whole grains means eating all three parts of a grain of wheat or oats, for example, which are the hard outer shell or the so-called bran and pulp of the grain, complex sugary substances or starches and the small seed in it, and it was previously believed that its benefit is that it contains a rich amount of fiber , However, recent medical studies say that the total content of grains, with all their vitamins, minerals, complex sugars or starches, in addition to fiber, is what protects the body and promotes health.
2- Tomatoes:
Tomato is one of the most important components of daily food for many around the world in its various forms, and it is useful in its fresh as well as cooked form, and represents a shield against many types of cancer, such as cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, cervix, breast, lung and prostate, because it contains lycopene, which is the red substance that gives Tomatoes are a distinctive color.
Lycopene is a pigment from the carotenoid family that acts as a powerful natural antioxidant, reducing cancerous growth by 77%, as it protects against cancer. This substance is also available in yellow watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit and red pepper.
The process of cooking tomatoes increases the effectiveness of this substance and the body's ability to absorb it, as this ability is doubled by adding an unsaturated oil such as olive oil, knowing that tomato products such as sauce, tomato juice and ketchup have a higher concentration of lycopene than fresh tomatoes themselves.
3- Spinach:
Spinach contains more than 15 flavonoids that are powerful and effective antioxidants to neutralize free radicals in the body and thus help prevent cancer.
Studies have shown that spinach extracts reduce the severity of skin cancer and show that it can also reduce the growth of stomach cancers.
Spinach also contains carotenoids, which prevent the proliferation of some types of cancer cells and even encourage these cells to destroy themselves.
And it contains high levels of potassium, which protects against eye diseases, and it even contains carotene compounds that work on the death of cancer cells and stop cancer activity in general, according to a study published in the American Journal of Nutrition.
And “spinach” is one of the plant products rich in nutrients that are widely beneficial for health, as scientists were able to isolate more than thirteen types of antioxidant flavonoid compounds, which are important in preventing inflammatory processes and cholesterol deposition on the walls of arteries and resisting the effects of carcinogens in cells of various The organs of the body, which is what was done when studying the positive effects of the “spinach” extract of these substances on stomach, skin, breast and oral cancers.
The leaves of “spinach” also contain folic acid, and this acid also helps reduce the chances of neurological diseases, in addition to that, “spinach” contains large amounts of iron, which helps maintain the strength of blood in the body.
The National Institute of Health in America conducted a study that included more than 490 people, and concluded that those who ate more "spinach" were less likely to develop esophageal cancer.
And “spinach” retains most of the minerals and vitamins if it is cooked with steam, unlike boiling, which loses most of its nutrients.
4Broccoli:
Not only that, broccoli is one of the richest foods with bioflavonoids, which is important in preventing cancer. Powerful enzymes to fight oral, esophageal and stomach cancer.
According to the results of hundreds of studies conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, sulforaphane works as an antibiotic against the bacteria (H. Pylori) that causes stomach ulcers and stomach cancer, and these results have been tested on humans, and the results are very encouraging.
And to get the most benefit, you can mix broccoli with chopped garlic and olive oil to turn it into a healthy dish, says nutrition expert Jed Fahey W., a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and adds that broccoli is the best natural source for producing sulforaphane.
It can also help maintain a healthy heart by helping to keep blood vessels strong, broccoli also prevents damage to blood vessels caused by chronic blood sugar problems, and vitamin B6 can regulate or limit excess homocysteine. Which accumulate in the body as a result of eating red meat, which can increase the risk of coronary artery disease.
5- Strawberries and raspberries:
Strawberries and raspberries contain a special acid of the type of phenolic acids that reduce the rate of damage to cells as a result of smoke and air pollution. Eating strawberries and raspberries reduces the risk of lung cancer, and prevents cancer of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, according to hundreds of clinical studies conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund. and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Also, strawberries are one of the most rich fruits in the antioxidant ellagic acid, and scientific research has proven that this substance can stop the growth of cancerous tumors.
6- Mushrooms:
Helps the body fight cancer and increase the activity of the immune system; It contains sugars, and beta-glucan, and these substances help to strengthen the immune system, attack cancer cells and prevent their reproduction, and it also stimulates the production of interferon in the body to eliminate viruses.
7- Flax seeds:
Flax seeds contain phytochemicals that protect the body from cancerous diseases and slow their growth. This may be due to the fact that these seeds contain a large proportion of fiber and are rich in lignan, which has an antioxidant effect and inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It also contains fatty acids. Such as omega-3, which protects against heart disease and colon cancer.
8- Carrots:
It contains high levels of beta-carotene, which fights a wide range of cancers such as lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestine, prostate and breast cancer. Dr. Christine Brandt, head of the research department at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, says that there is another substance in carrots called Falcarinol that stops the growth of cancer cells, so nutrition experts have long advised eating carrots; Because it seems to prevent cancer, but so far the compound has not been identified, but a recent study showed that people who eat large amounts of carrots can reduce their risk of cancer by 40%.
Research confirms that carrots contain a substance that kills insects that has a great effect in preventing cancer. Falcarinol is a natural insecticide that protects vegetables from fungal diseases, and it may be the main factor that makes carrots resistant to cancer to this degree.
A report published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry says that mice that ate carrots with their normal food, as well as mice that added falcarinol to their food, were less likely to develop malignant tumors by a third compared to mice that were not given neither carrots nor falcarinol.
9. Green and black tea:
These two types of tea contain many active ingredients, including polyphenols that protect against stomach cancer, in addition to flavonoids that protect against viral infections, and it must be noted that adding milk in tea counteracts the effects of good polyphenols for the body.