This is because vitamin and mineral supplements,
though very beneficial, do not supply the thousands
of phytochemicals that might be present in fruits and
vegetables, according to the Cleveland Clinic Founda-
tion in Ohio. For example, eating a sweet potato with
its skin, which is a great source of both beta carotene
andfiber, provide at least 5,000 phytochemicals that
are not present in a beta carotene supplement. That’s an
extremely important difference. Isolating a few com-
pounds in a pill will not provide you with the hundred
of protective benefits that plant food provide. The best
advice is to obtain phytochemicals by eating a good
variety of plant foods every day. Whether fruits and
vegetables are consumed in raw or cooked form does
not really matter with regard to phytochemical content.
Even canned, frozen and juiced fruits and vegetables
pack a phytochemical punch. However, raw or steamed
vegetables would provide the best nutrient value.
The antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, and
other plant-based foods fight free radicals, which are
compounds in the body that attack and destroy cell
membranes. The uncontrolled activity of free radicals
is believed to cause many cancers. Examples of anti-
oxidants includecarotenoids, such as beta carotene,
lycopene, and vitamins C and E.
The carotenoids, in particular, which give fruits
and vegetables their bright yellow, orange, and red
colors, are now gaining recognition for their nutritional
worth. Numerous studies have extolled the virtues of
lycopene (the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red) in
preventingprostatecancer. One such study at Harvard
University found that men who include tomato prod-
ucts in their meals twice a week could reduce their risk
of developing prostate cancer by one-third compared
with men who do not consume tomatoes.
Other lycopene-rich foods, such as watermelon,
red grapefruit, and guava, are now piquing the interest
of researchers. Watermelon not only yields more lyco-
pene per serving (15 mg in 11/2 cups) than raw toma-
toes (11 mg per 11/2 cups), but it’s also a rich source of
vitamins A and C.
Whether antioxidants can reduce the incidence of
cancer is still uncertain at this point because of the lack
of sufficient studies. However, research data obtained
thus far indicates that antioxidants do appear to pro-
vide health benefits.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that
roughly one-third of all cancer deaths may be diet
related. Scientists have recently estimated that approx-
imately 30 to 40% of all cancers could be averted if
people ate more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based
foods and minimized high-fat, high-calorie edibles
that have scant nutritional value. What you eat can
hurt you, but it can also help you. In the past, research-
ers had linked fat consumption with the development of
cancers, but they currently believe that eating fruits,
vegetables, and grains may be more important in pre-
venting the disease than not eating fat. Many of the
common foods found in grocery stores or organic mar-
kets contain cancer-fighting properties, from the anti-
oxidants that neutralize the damage caused by free
radicals to the powerful phytochemicals that scientists
are just beginning to explore. There isn’t a single ele-
ment in a particular food that does all the work. The
best thing to do is eat a variety of foods.Description
There are a number of foods that have been dem-
onstrated to have the ability to help stave off cancer
and some can even help inhibit cancer cell growth or
reduce tumor size. The following is a list of foods that
because of the nutrients they contain, have been deter-
mined to be the best cancer fighters:
Avocados: They are rich in glutathione, a power-
ful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body by
blocking intestinal absorption of certainfats. They
also supply even more potassium than bananas and
are a strong source ofvitamin E. Scientists also believe
that avocados may also be useful in treating viral
hepatitis (a cause of liver cancer), as well as other
sources of liver damage.
Beans: Beans contain a number of phytochemicals,
which have been shown to prevent or slow genetic
damage to cells. While this makes beans beneficial for
helping to reduce your risk of many types of cancer,
specific research has suggested they are especially
potent in preventing prostate cancer. As an added
bonus, the high fiber content of beans has been con-
nected with a lower risk of digestive cancers.
Berries: The two most widely studied cancer-fighting
compounds in berries are ellagic acid (richest in straw-
berries and raspberries) and anthocyanosides (richest inKEY TERMS
antioxidants—A substance, such as vitamin E, vita-
min C, or beta carotene, thought to protect body cells
from the damaging effects of oxidation.
phytochemicals—A nonnutritive bioactive plant
substance, such as a flavonoid or carotenoid,
considered to have a beneficial effect on human
health.Cancer-fighting foods