About Cancer

Interest in cancer fighting foods continues to grow. Indeed, in recent years, numerous books have been written about anti cancer foods and the role of good nutrition.

Thousands of scientific studies have now been conducted on the subject. Researchers have investigated the average diets of populations that exhibit low incidence of different types of cancer. Most recently, the American Cancer Society has concluded that 14-20% of all cancer deaths in the United States are related to obesity or excess weight. About 30% of all Americans are obese and most are overweight.

Experts agree that anti cancer foods are foods that are rich in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is believed to lead to many types of cancer, as well as heart disease, and recent studies have shown that body fat produces chemicals that cause inflammation.

This research supports the importance of a healthy diet that includes cancer fighting foods, most of which are fruits and vegetables, and limits dietary fats. Additionally, there is no substitute for a regular exercise program for weight management.

Making drastic changes in your diet can be difficult and frustrating. You may find more success by making little changes over an extended period of time. If the cancer fighting foods mentioned here are not those that you are accustomed to eating, try adding one or two different ones to your diet each month.

Remember to keep in mind any known allergies. When trying a food or spice that you have never eaten before, watch for reactions, such as itching, hives or swelling of the lips and mouth. Severe allergic reactions to foods can cause anaphylactic shock, which can be life threatening, and those people who have other allergies or asthma are more at risk and should use care when trying new foods.

It can also be helpful to buy foods that are grown locally. These are less likely to cause allergic reactions. Limiting new foods to one a day will help you identify food sensitivities or allergies.

Berries are among the most powerful anti cancer foods. Blueberries have been shown in animals studies to inibit the production of an enzyme responsible for tumor growth. Bilberry has been shown to inhibit the growth of leukemia and cancer cells in the laboratory. Pomegranates (a member of the berry family) are considered cancer fighting foods because of their effect on breast, prostrate and skin cancer in lab studies. Additionally, pomegranate seeds are natural anti-inflammatories.

The goal for an anti-cancer diet is to eat mostly plant foods. It appears that diets that are two-thirds fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are most effective. Recommended anti cancer foods are high in B-complex (shown to provide protection from cell mutation and reduce risk of pancreatic cancer) and D vitamins (curbs growth of cancer cells, reduces risk of breast and lung cancer).

A group of vegetables known as cruciferous are high in both B-complex and D vitamins. Examples of cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnip greens, kale and cabbage. In laboratory studies, these vegetables have been shown to shrink prostrate and colon cancer tumors and eating them is believed to reduce the development of colon polyps (a precursor to colon cancer), even in those people who are genetically predisposed to them.

The Cancer Cure Foundation, a non-profit providing information on alternative and complementary therapies since 1976, adds the following anti cancer foods: avocadoes, figs, flax seed, grapefruit, red grapes, green and yellow leafy vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, oranges, lemons, papayas, seaweed, soy, sweet potatoes, tapioca, tomatoes, watermelon and red peppers. You may have noticed that the majority of the cancer fighting foods are particularly colorful.

Those same phytochemicals that give these fruits and vegetables there bright colors are cancer fighting agents. Thus, the reason behind the recommendation to eat a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, every day.

Just because you are increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet does not mean that it must be bland. Several spices have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Curcurmin, the main ingredient in curry and used for flavoring in many Indian dishes, is a known anti-inflammatory, boosts immune system strength and is believed to have a negative affect on all forms of cancer. Ginger kills cancer cells in laboratory tests. Garlic, chili peppers, rosemary and jalapenos are all included in the Cancer Cure Foundation's recommendations for anti cancer foods.

And then there is the mangosteen. Not related to the more common mango and only available in the form of a health supplement puree in many parts of the world, this fruit from southeast Asia may be the most effective of the cancer fighting foods. The rind of the mangosteen was a staple in traditional Thai medicine and, since 2002 has been the subject of numerous laboratory studies, both in the United States and in Asia.

The anti-oxidants in the mangosteen are so powerful that they are referred to as xanthones. Initially identified as a natural anti-inflammatory in 2002, it was discovered in 2004 that components of the rind could inhibit COX-2 activity, without inhibiting COX-1 production. COX-2 enzymes cause inflammation. COX-1 enzymes protect the lining of the digestive tract. Anti-inflammatories like aspirin and ibruprofren upset the stomach and can cause ulcers because they inhibit both COX-1 and 2 production. In studies of nine different potential anti-cancer foods, the Department of Microbiology at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand showed that the mangosteen was the most potent in preventing proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Other lab tests have shown that it can induce the death of colon, leukemia, liver, gastric and lung cancer cells. All of these studies concluded that components of the mangosteen have potential for use in the treatment and prevention of cancer. If you have reason to be concerned about food allergies, the mangosteen has been shown to be an anti-allergen.

If you are really interested in optimal nutrition and warding off diseases, you might want to add a mangosteen supplement to your diet of cancer fighting foods, get regular exercise and reduce your waistline.