Can Certain Foods Really Reduce Your Cancer Risk?

On average, more than one in three people in the United States cancer will develop at some point in their lives, according to the American Cancer Society. And many of these cases, they say, may be preventable, including by making changes to your diet.

Scientists have a good idea of ​​which foods you should avoid to reduce your risk of cancer, such as: red and processed meat“fast” or processed foods, alcohol And sugary drinks. But knowing what Unpleasant eating isn’t always easy, says Johanna Lampe, a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

Many nutritional studies rely on people accurately remembering what they consumed up to a year ago, said Dr. Lampe. And it’s difficult to understand how individual foods can affect your health when they’re part of a larger diet, she said, adding that your lifestyle, environment, hormones and genes can also play a role.

No single food on its own can prevent cancer, says Nigel Brockton, the vice president of research at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, DC. But following a healthy diet does appear to reduce the risk, he said.

Here are some foods that experts say are worth adding to your plate.

Broccoli and its cruciferous cousins

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage are rich sources of isothiocyanates, plant compounds that help our cells clear toxins and repair themselves, which are crucial for cancer prevention, said Dr. Lampe.

Broccoli sprouts, for example, are rich in the isothiocyan sulforaphane can strengthen our body’s natural defense lines against daily damage to cells, she added. The compound has been linked to protection against several types of cancer, including: prostate, chest, bladder And colorectal.

Research suggests consuming more than four or five servings of cruciferous vegetables per week is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and other chronic conditions.

Tomatoes and tomato-based products

Studies have long linked tomatoes to reduced risk prostate cancer thanks to their abundant supply of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color.

But lycopene may be just one of many compounds in tomatoes that help defend against prostate cancer, says Nancy Moran, an assistant professor of nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. And limited research has shown that lycopene may also protect against other types of cancer thoracic, pulmonary and colorectal.

Processing tomatoes, such as cutting or cooking them, allows us to absorb lycopene more easily than eating them raw, Dr. Moran said. Consuming tomatoes with fat also helps. So eating them cooked, such as in a sauce or with a healthy fat like olive oil, can increase the health benefits you get from them.

Beans and other types of legumes

Common bean varieties such as black beans and kidney beans, and legumes such as chickpeas, dry peas and lentils, are not only high in protein. They’re also great sources of fiber, which is crucial for gut and immune health, said Dr. Brockton.

Fiber is also linked to the prevention of colorectal cancer. The bacteria in our intestines break down fiber into fuel for the cells lining the colon, keeping them healthy and less likely to turn into cancer cells, said Dr. Brockton.

Henry Thompson, director of the Cancer Prevention Laboratory at Colorado State University, said in animal and human studiesconsumption of beans (and other legumes such as chickpeas and lentils) is associated with the prevention of obesity, associated with various forms of cancer. A ongoing clinical trial humans are testing whether eating canned beans reduces the risk of cancer.

According to Dr. Brockton, the protective benefits of fiber take effect after eating about 30 grams – or the amount in about two cups of black beans – per day.

Nuts, especially walnuts

Nuts are rich in healthy fats, protein and fiber, and research has shown that those who consume them tend to have a reduced risk of several types of cancer. especially those of the digestive system.

Walnuts in particular contain exceptionally high levels of plant compounds called ellagitannins, which are converted by our intestinal bacteria into metabolites that the ability of cancer to grow and multiply.

Dr. John Birk, a gastroenterologist at UConn Health who has performed colonoscopies on people in clinical trials examining the health benefits of walnuts for the colon, said it was easy to spot a “walnut gut.” The lining of the colon wall “has a healthier appearance, a kind of glistening reflection of the light shining on it from the endoscope,” he said.

Studies suggest that eating about a handful of nuts per day is linked to health benefits.

Berries

Fleshy fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates And black raspberries are packed with antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids that help protect cells against stress and DNA damage that can increase the risk of cancer. Plant compounds called anthocyanins give berries their colorful hues anti-inflammatory weight; and reducing inflammation is important because it is “a major cause of cancer,” said Dr. Brockton.

Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Maine, said a growing body of evidence suggested that certain compounds in berries may help reduce cancer’s ability to develop, grow and multiply.

For the most anti-inflammatory benefits, aim for about half to a cup of fresh or frozen (and ideally organic) berries per day, she said.

Garlic

This pungent allium contains high levels of allicin, a sulfur-containing compound responsible for garlic’s strong odor and cancer-fighting abilities.

In one long-term study Of more than 3,000 people living in a region of China known to have a high incidence of stomach cancer, researchers found that for every 2.2 pounds of garlic participants consumed per year, they had a 17 percent lower risk of developing the disease . That’s about five cloves of garlic per week, says Wen-Qing Li, a cancer epidemiologist at Beijing University Cancer Hospital in Beijing and author of the study.

Stomach cancer, although on the decline in the United States, is one of the most common leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide.

Other, mostly non-humanStudies have suggested possible links between garlic consumption and reduced risks of other types of cancer in particular colorectal cancer.

According to Dr. Li says consuming garlic raw — pressed into oil for salad dressing or in guacamole, for example — will help “keep the flavors and chemicals alive.”

Nikki Campo is a freelance writer in North Carolina.