7 cancer-fighting foods you need to include in your diet right away

Fight off cancer before it makes its presence felt and haunt you for the rest of your life. This World Cancer Day, pledge to eat and live healthy.
World Cancer Day
Make sure your diet includes veggies and fruits to steer clear of cancer. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Sonakshi Kohli Updated: 1 Feb 2020, 18:02 pm IST
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They say, prevention is better than cure. And we say, take them damn seriously—especially if it’s cancer in question. After all, we live in an age, where processed foods, air pollution, food adulteration, microwave cooking, smoking, alcohol consumption, and what not—collectively contribute to the development of different types of cancers, you know?

Yes, kalyug, as dadi maa would call it, has its fair share of health drawbacks. Hence, the best bid to fight it off is to equip yourself with a stronger immunity and an abundance of cancer-fighting cells in the body. All this, with the help of certain foods that are scientifically proven to do so.

Take a look at seven of those protective shields and start eating them right away:

1. Tomatoes
The same compound (lycopene) that gives tomatoes their red colour is also responsible for giving them their much-needed anti-cancer properties and saving our ass.

Several studies, including the one published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, have found that upping your tomato intake by adding them to sandwiches, salads, sauces, and what not, can help you a great deal when it comes to preventing and fighting cancer.

World Cancer Day
Tomatoes are said to have anti-cancer properties.

2. Beans
We’ve all hated mom’s falia-aloo sabji for the longest time. But ladies, it’s time to develop a taste for it as well as acknowledge mom for her effort of making us eat healthy. Because guess what? The high-fibre, protein-packed greens are quite capable of blocking the development of cancer cells by up to 75% as per a study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

3. Broccoli
Y’all know how the unexplained formation of tumors in the body can turn fatal for you—especially with their super-high probability of turning carcinogenic in the future. But what if we told you that eating broccoli can prevent this situation and the tumor from arising in the first place?

Well, according to a 2010-study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, cruciferous veggies like our very own broccoli contain a compound called sulforaphane, which not only kills cancer cells effectively, but can also reduce tumor volume by almost 50%.

Also, read: These toothsome blanched broccoli florets will change the way you eat this veggie

So, cash in on broccoli’s anti-cancer properties and feast on broccoli salads, soups, sandwiches, and top it up on your pizzas for an extra dose of taste with health.

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World Cancer Day
There’s nothing more wholesome and filling like broccoli.

4. Berries
We shouldn’t even have to convince you to start eating these mouth-watering citrus powerhouses. From strawberries to blueberries and black berries—all sorts of berries are packed with antioxidants that are known to flush out toxins from your body and give you a stronger immunity, which, by the way, comes super-handy, when it comes to fighting off development of cancer cells in the body.

Several studies, including the one published in the journal Cancer Research, second this fact and add that berries can reduce the number of tumors by almost 62%. What more do you want from life?

5. Cinnamon
Let’s talk daadi maa’s language here. The antidote to kalyug’s biggest health issue (obviously, cancer) lies in the kitchen. We’re talking about the good-old dalchini, a.k.a., cinnamon in fancier terms.

The spice that’s a well-known weight-loss-aiding miracle can also help you fight cancer as per a study published in the journal BMC Cancer—all thanks to the antioxidants present in it. And ½-1 teaspoon of cinnamon everyday can keep the doctor away.

6. Turmeric
Yet another spice from daadi maa’s list of go-to nuskhe that can help you prevent cancer is turmeric. According to a study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, curcumin, a chemical present in turmeric is exactly what’s responsible for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and well–anticancer effects. So, swear by haldi doodh, haldi sabji, and haldi everything from now on, okay?

7. Carrots
Perhaps, all this while you’d been thinking that the only good carrots can do is to protect your eyesight. Clearly, you’re mistaken because as per a study published in the Journal of Gastric Cancer, carrots can reduce the risk of stomach cancer by almost 26%.

A few other studies also speak of its effectiveness in preventing prostate and lung cancer. Now, it can’t get more ignorant if you still don’t start drinking up carrot juice every day or enjoying a carrot salad with your meals.

So without thinking any further, make the most of all the above-mentioned kitchen ingredients and lead a healthy life.

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About the Author

Twenty kilos down and struggling to maintain the weight loss by preaching healthy eating, while eating unhealthy every now and then. ...Read More

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