28 foods that may help prevent cancer

A Finnish study found that the fermentation process involved in making sauerkraut produces several other cancer-fighting compounds, including ITCs, indoles and sulforaphane, Tribole notes. To reduce the sodium content, rinse canned or jarred sauerkraut before eating.

More than 4,000 women followed the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil, the diet with nuts, or a low-fat diet in a JAMA: Internal Medicine study. In five years, women on the Mediterranean diet with olive oil had a 68 per cent lower risk of breast cancer than those on the low-fat diet. The nut group had a lower risk that was not statistically significant. Women with the lowest risk ate about four tablespoons of olive oil per day.

Women who drink at least two cups of black tea daily have a 32 per cent lower risk of ovarian cancer compared with those who drink one cup or less per day, according to a large study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That’s just one of several studies pointing to anti-cancer properties of tea. This may be due to certain flavonoids (antioxidant compounds synthesised by plants) in black tea. The study did not include other types of tea, though studies have shown benefits in other varieties.

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When the natural fibre in apples ferments in the colon, it produces chemicals that help fight the formation of cancer cells, according to German research, Tribole says. Other studies have shown that one type of antioxidant found in apples, called procyanidins, triggered a series of cell signals that resulted in cancer cell death.

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Healthy monounsaturated fats (like those in avocados and its oil) will help your body better absorb anticancer antioxidants such as lycopene (from, say, tomatoes) and beta-carotene (from carrots, for example), Tribole writes.

Bean sprouts are a rich source of sulforaphane, one of the most potent anticancer compounds isolated from a natural source. Sprouts can contain 50 times more sulforaphane than mature beans, Tribole writes. Garnish chicken or beef noodle soup with sprouts, sprinkle a layer of sprouts on a whole grain tuna salad wrap, or add sprouts to a veggie omelette. Always wash sprouts carefully and take other precautions due to the high risk of food-poisoning.

Bran, one of the richest sources of dietary fibre, is the indigestible outer husk of wheat, rice, oats and other cereal grains. Bran’s high fibre content may reduce the risk of colon and other obesity-related cancers, Tribole notes. In addition to eating bran in the morning, stir a couple of spoonfuls of oat bran into a stew or use wheat bran instead of bread crumbs to top casseroles.

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People who eat large amounts of cabbage have low rates of colon cancer, as well as other kinds of cancer. Cabbage contains bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals that inhibit tumour growth and protect cells from free radicals. The research has been mixed but it has some plausibility. Other chemicals in cabbage also speed up the body’s metabolism of estrogen, a hormone that, in high amounts, is associated with breast cancer. These chemicals may also help protect against cancers of the uterus and ovaries.

Let carrots be your go-to dip utensil. In addition to being our most abundant source of beta-carotene, carrots also contain other carotenoids, including alpha-carotene and bioflavonoids, which have been linked to reducing the risk of cancer, especially lung cancer. However, studies have shown that beta-carotene supplements (as opposed to actual food) may be particularly harmful to smokers.

Java fan? Your daily beverage might help fend off cancer. People with colorectal cancer who drank at least four cups of coffee per day after their diagnosis had a significantly lower risk of early death – from their cancer and other causes – than those who didn’t drink coffee, finds to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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