Foods that fight cancer

1.     Tomatoes. Eating tomatoes and tomato based products has been found to lower the risk for certain types of cancer as well coronary heart disease. Carotenoids and lycopene are the two components found in tomatoes that are credited for its healthful properties. Drinking tomato juice regularly provides small amounts of carotenoids, which have an effect on inflammatory mediators like TNF-alpha.

2.     Turmeric. Turmeric is one of the most powerful antioxidants and has numerous health benefits. Research shows it has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties by stopping tumor necrosis factor-alpha. This suggests that it suppresses inflammation and/or oxidative stress causes its effect on endothelial function by suppressing inflammation and/or oxidative stress by down-regulating TNF-alpha.

3.     Grapes. Resveratrol, a phenolic compound that is found in red grapes serves as an antioxidant, antimutagen, and helps reduce cell deaths resulting from oxidants. This compound has been known to prevent the creation of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Kuppfer cells.

4.     Green tea. The health benefits that stem from green tea come from the presence of plant flavonoids known as catechins. This catechin is found to prevent cancer by binding pro-inflammatory chemicals to smooth muscular tissue found in the vascular system.

5.     Sea vegetables. A variety of sea vegetables such as Nori, hijiki, wakame, arame, kombu and kelp have good effects for fighting cancer. Sea vegetables are a great source of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, and bioavailable iodine. Considering chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are both factors in the development of cancer, doctors are very interested in sea vegetables as a cancer fighting food especially in the case of colon cancer although others as well. One notable area of interest revolving around sea vegetables is estrogen related cancer such as breast cancer. The consumption of sea vegetables is noted to affect women’s menstrual cycle over the course of many years that results in the reduction of total estrogen secretion during the follicular phase.

6.     Cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, other nutrients and chemicals called glucosinolates. These chemicals can break down into a couple biological active compounds that have been found to have an anti-cancer effect. Examples of cruciferous vegetables are Arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips and collard greens. Each vegetable comes loaded with several carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin); vitamins C, E, and K; folate; and minerals. Biological active compounds found in these vegetables include indoles, nitriles, thiocyanates, and isothiocyanates, which help prevent DNA damage, inactivate carcinogens, causing carcinogens cell death, preventing tumor blood vessel formation and tumor cell migration.