While there are a number of cancer risk factors that are out of our control, such as environment and genetics, research indicates that you have the power to change roughly 70 per cent of your lifetime risk of cancer. Great steps for preventing cancer include getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and avoiding cigarettes. What you do and don’t eat, therefore, has a powerful impact on your health and your risk of cancer. Below, we reveal some of the foods you should incorporate into your diet:
Get your dose of peas – A study that was published in the International Journal of Cancer revealed that you could lower the risk of stomach cancer by consuming green peas and other legumes on a daily basis. This is especially the case if you have a daily intake of 2 mg of coumestrol or higher from these legumes.
Snack on red grapes – Red grapes are beneficial because the skin contains resveratrol. This has not only been linked to the reduction of cancer risk, but it’s also thought to lower the chance of a stroke and heart disease.
Enjoy grapefruit for breakfast – Lycopene is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of prostate cancer, and it is found in both red and pink grapefruits. This finding was part of a six-year study that was carried out by Harvard, involving a massive 48,000 doctors and healthcare professionals!
Go Mediterranean – Breast cancer impacts thousands of women all over the world. Recent studies have shown that estrogen levels can impact cancer risk, and so a lot of women make an effort to regulate this with medication. However, there are other ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer. As part of a JAMA: Internal Medicine study, over 4,000 women tried one of three different diets. One of these diets was a Mediterranean diet, which was supplemented with olive oil. This study concluded that those following the Mediterranean diet had a massive 68 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those on a low-fat diet.
Add some spice with ginger – There have been a number of studies that have proven that ginger has cancer-fighting properties. One study, which was carried out at the University of Michigan, revealed that ginger causes ovarian cancer cells to die.
Eat all of the egg – Egg yolks are one of the most beneficial types of food when it comes to reducing the risk of cancer. This is because it is one of the few foods that contain vitamin D.
Don’t give up your morning coffee – Do you need a cup of coffee to get your day started? If so, you will be pleased to know that you don’t need to give up your cup of warm and creamy goodness. This is because Researchers at the National Cancer Institute believe that coffee could help to fend off cancer. They carried out research that revealed that individuals that drink four or more cups of coffee per day, be it regular or decaf, had a 15 percent lower risk of colon cancer.
Snack on carrots – If you are looking for a healthy snack to get you through the day, why not enjoy raw carrot and a dip? Carrots are beneficial for a number of reasons. Not only are they our most abundant source of beta-carotene, but also they contain bioflavonoids, alpha-carotene, and other carotenoids. These carotenoids have been linked to reducing the risk of cancer, especially lung cancer.
Eat bran cereal – If you get a bit sick of eating grapefruit for breakfast every day, you can enjoy a nice bowl of bran cereal too. You probably already know that bran is an incredible source of fiber. This is important because the high level of fiber found in bran means it could reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers, including colon cancer.
Add avocado to salads – Let’s face it; salads taste much better with avocado added. Plus, it’s much better for you too! This is because your body will be able to absorb anti-cancer antioxidants more efficiently by eating healthy monounsaturated fats, which is exactly what avocado is. Therefore, by adding avocado to your salad, your body will be able to absorb the beta-carotene from carrots and the lycopene from tomatoes with greater ease.
Snack on apples – Finally, snacking on apples can be beneficial. This is according to German research, which has revealed that apples produce a cancer-fighting chemical when the natural fiber inside ferments. Other studies have shown that procyanidins, an antioxidant found in apples, can cause cancer cells to die.
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