On average, more than one in three people in the United States Cancer develops According to the American Cancer Society, at some point in their lives. And many of these issues, they say, are preventable, including making changes to your diet.
Scientists have a good idea of what to avoid to reduce your risk of cancer. Red and processed meats“quick” or Prepared foods, Alcohol And Sugary drinks. But knowing what it is to the Eating isn’t always easy, says Johanna Lampe, a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.
According to Dr. Lampe, many dietary studies rely on people to remember exactly what they consumed for up to a year. And while it’s hard to understand how much individual foods can affect your health when they’re part of a larger diet, she says your lifestyle, environment, hormones and genes can also play a role.
Nigel Brockton, vice president of research at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., said no single food can prevent cancer, but a healthy diet appears to reduce the risk.
Here are some foods that experts say are worth adding to your plate.
Broccoli and its cruciferous relatives
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage are rich sources of isocyanates, plant compounds that help our cells detoxify and repair themselves, which is critical for cancer prevention, says Dr. Lampe.
For example, broccoli sprouts are rich in the isothiocyanate sulforaphane. It can boost our body’s natural defense lines Against the daily damage to the cells, she added. The compound has been linked to the prevention of several types of cancer, among them Prostate, Breast, bladder And Colorectal.
Research suggests Eating more than four or five meals A week of cruciferous vegetables reduces the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Tomatoes and tomato-based products
Studies have long linked tomatoes to a reduced risk Prostate cancer Thanks to the rich stores of lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color.
But lycopene may be just one of several compounds in tomatoes that help prevent prostate cancer, says Nancy Moran, assistant professor of nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. And some research shows that lycopene may protect against other types of cancer. Breast, lung and colorectal.
Processing tomatoes by cutting or cooking them helps us absorb lycopene more easily than eating them raw, says Dr. Moran. Eating tomatoes with fat also helps. So eating them with cooked foods like sauces or with healthy fats like olive oil can help maximize the health benefits you get from them.
Beans and other grains
Common beans like black and kidney beans and legumes like chickpeas, dry peas and lentils aren’t the only ones rich in protein. They’re also a great source of fiber, which is important for gut and immune health, says Dr. Brockton.
Fiber has also been linked to colorectal cancer prevention. The bacteria in our gut break down fiber into fuel for the cells that line the gut, keeping them healthy and less likely to turn into cancer cells, says Dr. Brockton.
According to Henry Thompson, director of the Cancer Prevention Laboratory at Colorado State University Animal and human studiesConsumption of beans (and other legumes such as chickpeas and lentils) has been linked to obesity prevention. Associated with many cancers. one An ongoing clinical trial It is investigating whether eating canned beans reduces the risk of cancer in humans.
According to Dr. Brockton, the protective benefits of fiber kick in after eating 30 grams — or two cups of black beans — per day.
Nuts, especially walnuts.
Tree nuts are rich in healthy fats, protein and fiber, and studies have shown that people who eat them reduce their risk of various types of cancer. Especially the digestive system.
Especially walnuts It contains special plant compounds called ellagitannins, which are converted into metabolites by our intestinal bacteria Cancer’s ability to grow and multiply.
Dr. John Birk, a gastroenterologist at UConn Health who has performed colonoscopies on people in clinical trials investigating colon health benefits, says “walnut colon” is easy to spot. The lining of the colon wall has a “healthy appearance, the kind of light reflection that shines off an endoscope.”
Research suggests Eating a handful of tree nuts a day is linked to good health.
Berries
Fruits like meat Strawberry, Blueberries, Cranberries, Roman And Black raspberry Packed with antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, they protect cells from stress and DNA damage, which can increase the risk of cancer. Plant compounds called anthocyanins are what make berries colorful and attractive. Anti-inflammatory heft; And reducing inflammation is important because “it’s a big driver of cancer,” Dr. Brockton said.
According to Dorothy Klimis-Zakas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Maine A growing body of evidence Some compounds in the berry have been shown to help reduce the ability of cancer to grow, develop and reproduce.
For most of its anti-inflammatory benefits From one half to one cup Fresh or frozen (and ideally organic) berries a day, she said.
White garlic
This dense allium contains high levels of allicin, a sulfur-containing compound that gives garlic its strong aroma and anti-cancer potential.
in A longitudinal study Researchers from more than 3,000 people living in a region known to have a high incidence of stomach cancer in China found that the 2.2 pounds of garlic the participants ate each year reduced their risk of developing the disease by 17 percent. Wen-Qing Li, a cancer epidemiologist at Peking University Cancer Hospital in Beijing and the study’s author, is about five ounces of garlic every week.
Stomach cancer is one of the declining rates in the United States The main causes of cancer death worldwide.
other, Most people are notStudies have suggested a possible link between garlic consumption and a reduced risk of other types of cancer, particularly cancer. Colorectal cancer.
According to Dr. Lee, eating garlic raw — for example, as a salad dressing or infused with oil in guacamole — helps “keep the flavors and chemicals alive.”
Nikki Campo is a freelance writer in North Carolina.