New Delhi: A diet that could ward off cancer really doesn’t look that different from the healthy foods you should be eating anyway. Weight matters too. Keep the scale at a healthy number and shed some pounds if needed. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing esophageal cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and others.
Here are some foods that may help lower your cancer risk
Garlic
The same sulfur compounds causing that odor may also stop cancer-causing substances from forming in your body, speed DNA repair, and kill cancer cells.
Broccoli
Eat your broccoli, mom always said. She was right. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale, and cauliflower contain phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which produce protective enzymes that are released when you chew the raw veggie, rupturing the cell walls.
Tomatoes
The red coloring in tomatoes makes a juicy, ripe one hard to resist — and makes them a potential weapon against prostate cancer and heart disease. That red hue comes from a phytochemical called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, which is most concentrated in tomatoes. Several studies suggest that a lycopene-rich diet is connected to a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Strawberries
Berries scoop up disease-fighting honors like kids in sports collect trophies: They just keep multiplying. Research points to possible protection against heart disease and memory decline as well as cancer. In a recent study, berry extracts slowed the growth of cancer cells; specifically, strawberry and black raspberry extracts had the greatest impact on colon cancer cells.
Carrots
One of the easiest vegetables to love, carrots are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. They contain beta-carotene, antioxidant scientists believe may protect cell membranes from toxin damage and slow the growth of cancer cells. And carrots deliver other vitamins and phytochemicals that might guard against cancers of the breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and stomach.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that remove unstable molecules called free radicals from your body before they damage it. They’re found in spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, and some studies show they could protect against cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Spinach was less likely to develop esophageal cancer. The carotenoids in spinach and other foods reduce the risk of ovarian, endometrial, lung, and colorectal cancer, too.
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