A LIST of the best cancer-busting foods proven to slash the risk of tumours has been drawn up by two leading international scientists.
After years of research, the two experts said there is now clear evidence on what to eat to fight the disease.
Top of their list are fresh vegetables and fruit – broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and oranges.
They found these superfoods contain cancer-killing chemicals called phytochemicals and polyphenols which could kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells.
Professor Attilio Giacosa, a top gastroenterologist from Italy and Professor Jaak Janssens, president of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation, said that the benefits of these fresh fruit and vegetables can still not be gained through “magic pill” supplements.
But they warned the way you cook the superfoods is vital. Steaming or microwaving veg is the best way to preserve the essential nutrients.
Prof Giacosa said: “Many substances identified in these groups were found to be beneficial. We speak mostly of phytochemicals, products we call ‘biologically active’ and polyphenols as well as other compounds. All have proven protective effects but we weren’t able to use them to create a magic pill, a supplement able to replace the properties of vegetables. Why? Because it is the vegetable product on its own that is the optimal source to prevent tumours.”
Vegetables
Eat plenty of the following: Cabbage cauliflower and broccoli,brussels sprouts, kale, spinach lettuce
Foods that contain fibre
Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, wheatgerm breakfast cereals, eat plenty of things like muesli, Weetabix, shredded wheat, porridge (oatmeal). Pasta Brown rice and pulses such as chick peas, lentils, and kidney beans. One of the main reasons for eating plenty of fibre is it makes your bowel movements regular, were as if you eat plenty of red meat and it can stay within your bowels for quite some time. And this is where toxins can start to manifests and problems occur so very few of us eat enough fibre in our diets.
Fish
eating oily fish a approximate portion of 80 grams every other day, may help with not contracting bowel cancer but not only this, the Omega three oils contained within the fish are good for your heart also. It must be oily fish that you eat this is most important such fish as salmon, herring and mackerel are just fine.
Tomatoes
This particular fruit contain’s something called lypocene, which possibly could protect you from prostrate cancer this is something that a lot of men suffer from later on in life, something worth bearing in mind don’t think if you’re a man.
Soya type products
Things like tofu and soya milk are supposed to lower the risk of getting breast cancer, although more research needs to be done to actually confirm this.
Not so good news foods
Red meat
Try to keep on eye on the amount of red meat that you have within your diet, if you are eating more than two 80 grams portions of red meat a day then you are far more likely to, contract bowel cancer so keep tabs on the following meat foods and make sure you are eating them in moderation.
Beef, pork, lamb and veel and also be weary of processed meat in the form of ham, salami and bacon. Proteins contained with in some meat can make cancer forming compounds within the body.
Saturated fats
If you consume a large quantity of saturated fat within your diet, and you are a woman and have over 90 grams of saturated fat a day then you’re far more likely to contract breast cancer. Try to keep your intake of saturated fats below 40 grams per day then you should be fine.
Don’t forget however saturated fat is in a lot products these days so you must take it upon yourself to read the labels which unfortunately a lot of people don’t do.
Watch your weight
A global study which is following 500,000 people and monitoring their dietary habits over a period of 10 years they have found that being obese can be a major factor in some cancers being developed, so the advice they give is cut down on fatty and sugary foods. They are trying to find the links between obesity and cancer so they can understand the mechanisms behind it.
And one final thing eat as many foods as you can that contain antioxidants namely phytochemicals these are the natural antioxidant properties, within foods that prevent cell damage. Finally remember that prevention is better than cure.
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February 14th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Eating baked rhubarb could help fight cancer, research suggests.
Scientists found baking British garden rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically increased its levels of anti-cancerous chemicals.
The chemicals, called polyphenols, could kill or prevent growth of cancer cells and could be used to develop less toxic treatments, even in cases where cancers have been resistant to other treatment.
It is the first time the benefits of British garden rhubarb, specifically a variety grown in South Yorkshire, have been studied.
Previous research has focused on Oriental medicinal rhubarb, which has been recognised for its health benefits and used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
‘Current treatments are not effective in all cancers and resistance is a common problem,’ said Dr Nikki Jordan-Mahy, of Sheffield Hallam University’s biomedical research centre, which carried out the studies.
‘Cancer affects one in three individuals in the UK so it’s very important to discover novel, less toxic, treatments, which can overcome resistance.’
February 18th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
A bitter row has broken out between members of the British meat industry and the World Cancer Research Fund over whether red meat increases the risk of bowel cancer. What do we know about this link?
The WCRF says the evidence that red and processed meats increase the risk of colorectal cancer is “convincing”, and since 2007 – when it published a major report on lifestyle and cancer – has urged the public to limit their consumption of steak and sausages.
These conclusions, claim an array of organisations representing meat producers, are flawed. They point to a number of independent scientists who have questioned the conviction with which the link between red meat and cancer was presented in the report.
The WCRF has published a list of “minor errors” with the report – some relating to the findings on red meat and bowel cancer – but says it has no intention of altering the conclusions based on an expert panel’s review of the scientific literature.
According to the recommendations, red meat should be consumed in modest amounts, and salami and ham should almost always be avoided.
March 25th, 2010 at 1:25 am
A study by a team of biologists found that popular sauces and marinades contain a range of spices, fruits and vegetables which contain natural antioxidants.
These are chemical compounds which fight diseases associated with old age such as cancer, heart problems, strokes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and cataracts.
Antioxidants are known to fight harmful molecules called free radicals which damage the body’s cells.
The study, at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, found that barbecue sauces are packed with healthly ingredients which can boost the body’s immune system.
April 28th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Obvious choices of fruit and vegetables are not necessarily the healthiest, say researchers.
According to US experts, making simple swaps like eating sweet potatoes instead of carrots and papaya rather than oranges could make a difference.
Foods, like raspberries, watercress and kale, are richer in phytonutrients which may help prevent disease, they told a US meeting.
UK nutritionists said a balanced diet is essential to good health.
The British Nutrition Foundation warned that relying on eating a few select food types to boost health was ill-advised and said there was no such thing as a “superfood”.
May 5th, 2010 at 2:57 am
Broccoli could hold the key to preventing and even treating breast cancer, claim scientists.
A chemical found in the vegetable superfood targets the cells that fuel the growth of tumours.
Broccoli contains high levels of sulforaphane which can kill these cancer stem cells and prevent the disease from developing, or spreading when it is established.
U.S. scientists at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre completed successful laboratory tests on mice and cell cultures.
Study author Professor Duxin Sun said: ‘Sulforaphane has been studied previously for its effects on cancer, but this study shows that its benefit is in inhibiting the breast cancer stem cells.
‘This new insight suggests the potential of sulforaphane or broccoli extract to prevent or treat cancer by targeting the critical cancer stem cells.’
A report on the findings is published in the Clinical Cancer Research journal.
Around 46,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in Britain, with 12,000 dying from the disease. Current chemotherapy regimes do not work against cancer stem cells, which is why the disease recurs and spreads, say the researchers.
They believe that eliminating the cancer stem cells is critical to controlling the growth of tumours.
In the study, researchers took mice with breast cancer and injected varying concentrations of sulforaphane from the broccoli extract.
They then used several established methods to assess the number of cancer stem cells in the tumours.
These measures showed a marked drop in the cancer stem cell population after treatment with sulforaphane, with little effect on the normal cells. Furthermore, cancer cells from mice treated with the chemical were unable to generate new tumours.
The researchers then tested the compound on human breast cancer cell cultures in the lab, finding a similar fall in the number of cancer stem cells.
However, they warned that the concentrations used in the study were higher than those found in broccoli.
May 17th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Eating two rashers of bacon or a sausage every day can increase your risk of heart disease by nearly half, scientists claim.
Their study found meat that has been cured, salted or processed in another way can also push up the likelihood of developing diabetes.
It linked the salts and chemical preservatives used on processed meat to ill health if the products are eaten regularly.
Bowel cancer and breast cancer have also previously been linked to consumption of higher amounts of ham and bacon.
The study found that unprocessed red meat such as beef, pork or lamb does not raise the risk of illness.
The research by the Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S. analysed the meat eating habits of more than a million people.
It concluded that those who eat large amounts of processed meat have a higher risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The review of 20 scientific studies found.
May 17th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Eating processed meat such as sausages increases the likelihood of heart disease, while red meat does not seem to be as harmful, a study suggests.
A Harvard University team which looked at studies involving over one million people found just 50g of processed meat a day also raised the risk of diabetes.
But there was no such risk from eating even twice as much unprocessed meat, such as beef, lamb or pork.
This was despite the fact the two forms of meat have a similar fat content.
Writing in the journal Circulation, the researchers speculated that given the similar quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, the difference may be explained by the salt and preservatives added to processed meats.
This is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting and includes bacon, sausages, salami and other luncheon meats.
Salt can increase blood pressure in some people, a key risk factor for heart disease.
In animal experiments, nitrate preservatives can promote atherosclerosis and reduce glucose tolerance, which can in turn lead to heart problems and diabetes.
August 31st, 2010 at 9:37 pm
About 10,000 cases of breast and bowel cancer could be prevented each year in the UK if people did more brisk walking, claim experts.
The World Cancer Research Fund scientists say any moderate activity that makes the heart beat faster should achieve the same.
For example, data suggest 45 minutes a day of moderate exercise could prevent about 5,500 cases of breast cancer.
Physical exercise helps prevent obesity, which is a cancer risk factor.
The WCRF team stress in their report that it is the total time spent being active that is important. You do not need to set aside half an hour each day to exercise. Shorter bouts of activity will be just as beneficial as long as they add up to the same, the charity says.
Alongside brisk walking, other activities that would count include cycling or swimming at a leisurely pace, dancing, gardening and vacuuming combined with other housework, says the WCRF.
Their head of science, Dr Rachel Thompson, said by making small changes to their daily routine people could achieve significant health gains.
“There is now every strong evidence that being physically active is important for cancer prevention.
“Even relatively modest increases in activity levels could prevent thousands of cancer cases in the UK every year.