all^ photos:^shutterstock48 february 2020prevent the formation of cancer cells
in the body. Eat them raw or lightly
steamed for maximum benefits.GARLIC GOODNESS
What works are garlic cloves and not
the supplements sold in health stores.
For best results, chop cloves and let
sit for 15 minutes before cooking or
eating as this waiting period allows for
the activation of beneficial enzymes
present in this superfood.BERRY POWERS
Include all kinds of berries in your diet
because they are high in flavonoids,
known for their anti-cancer properties.
Eat strawberries and other local berries
like mulberries and jamun. The cancer-
fighting compound, carotenoids, found
in tomatoes and pomegranate (they
too are berries) make them potent
warriors; eat them raw.TEA RULES
Tea lovers will love this piece of news:
all three kinds of tea—black, green
and oolong—are good sources of
flavonoids. A study conducted on 3,000
postmenopausal women indicates
that flavonoids from tea protected
them against breast cancer. However,
this protection does not work for pre-
menopausal women.SPICES SPEAK
A study in the British Medical Jour-
nal draws our attention to the power
of spices that may help reduce therisk of death from cancers. All the
spices stacked in your kitchen have
beneficial properties. But the spice that
is leading the crusade against cancer is
turmeric, which has shown promise
even against the most drug-resistant
forms of breast cancer.Neelanjana Singh, a nutrition therapist
with 30 years experience, is a member
of the national executive committee of
the Indian Dietetic Association and
author of Our Kid Eats Everything.IS SOYA BAD NEWS FOR
BREAST CANCER?
Women are wary of soya and flax-
seeds as they contain high levels of
phytoestrogens (substances found in
plant foods that act like oestrogen).
Both soya and its by-products (soya
milk, tofu, edamame, soya nuts) and
flaxseeds rank very high in the phy-
toestrogen content of foods. But
recent studies have given them
a clean chit—almost. The advisory for
those with a diagnosis of breast can-
cer is to take limited portions: 1–2 tbs
of flaxseeds and not more than 2 ser-
vings of soya in a day. One serving of
soya translates into 250 ml soya milk,
125 g tofu or
¼ cup of
soya nuts.Reader’s Digest Food
UPDATED AND ADAPTED FROM PREVENTION INDIA © OCTOBER 2015, LIVING MEDIA INDIA LIMITED.