It is well established that fruit and vegetables can help protect against cancer. But there is some evidence to show that other food groups can also help equip our body with cancer-fighting weapons.
Here, we examine the cancer-fighting properties of five more foods.
PULSES
Fiber contained in pulses and whole meal foods helps us excrete estrogens from our bodies. Too many estrogens from our own hormones and hormone-like substances found in plastics and chemicals can trigger cell division in our breast tissue.
Evidence shows that too much cell division can lead to breast cancer.
Fiber can help keep breast cancer at bay because it helps eliminate excess estrogens from our body and prevents reabsorption of estrogens in our intestines, thus lowering cell division.
Linseeds are a particularly good source of fiber. This is because they contain a high ************** of lingams which have been found to be protective against breast cancer by regulating estrogens and reducing tumor growth in later stages.
A high fiber diet also helps maintain a healthy gut. This is because soluble fibers create ‘friendly bacteria’ needed to fight off bad bacteria – meaning that your body is less exposed to harmful toxins that could cause cancer.
OILY FISH
Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout and salmon have all been linked to a lower incidence of breast cancer. Evidence shows that Eskimos who have a high intake of oily fish have a low incidence of breast cancer. This is thanks to the presence of omega-3 fats in these fish. However, expert opinion is divided over the rates of cancer among the Eskimos. It appears that breast cancer levels may be low among Eskimos, but stomach cancer is high.
Recent findings have revealed that omega-3 oils prevent or slow down the growth of cancerous tumours and also boost our immune system. This is because omega-3 oils compete with omega-6 fats (found in ********ing oils which can encourage cell division) and keep cell growth under control.
Omega-3s appear to have the ability to switch off growth mechanism of cells and prevent them from dividing, and, in turn, leading to cancerous tumours.
DAIRY
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is found in milk, dairy foods and meat. A study in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, compared the dietary intake and blood levels of CLA in a group of women with breast cancer, to a group of similar women without the disease.
This research found that a low risk of breast cancer was associated with higher blood levels and intakes of CLA.
This doesn’t prove that it reduces breast cancer risk. But when viewed alongside another study that linked lower breast cancer risk with higher lifelong milk intakes, it seems it may play a part.
CURRY
Colon (large bowel) cancer is much less common in India than in the UK and the high intake of curcumin – found in the spice turmeric – is thought to help explain this. Curcumin blocks colon cancer in rats, and studies suggest it suppresses development of colon cancer cells in humans.
Extensive research into curcumin is being carried out in Leicester after researchers noticed that while 20 per cent of the city’s population is Asian, only two out of 500 colon-cancer patients were from that ethnic background. Turmeric also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
FIBRE
Eating high-fiber foods such as fruit, vegetables, rice and whole wheat grains can cut the risk of developing bowel cancer by as much as 40 per cent, say scientists. In recent months, there had been doubt cast on the medical benefits of fiber in food, but the biggest-ever study into diet and cancer has firmly contradicted those theories.
The data comes from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) which tested a total of 400,000 people in nine countries.
Volunteers were split into sets according to their consumption of natural fiber in fruit, vegetables, cereals and wholegrain foods. Of the 400,000 tested, 470 developed colorectal cancer.
The group eating the most fibre reduced the risk of the disease by up to 40 per cent.
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