15 cancer-busting foods

Foods containing fibre

Recent research from the World Cancer Research Fund has found convincing evidence that eating fibre-rich foods does help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

It’s thought that antioxidants in these foods may help prevent cells from becoming cancerous, and because they reduce the amount of time food spends in the bowel, this can also help guard against cancer.

Also, leafy greens are rich in folate, which is linked to a reduce risk of bowel cancer. So eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, wheatgerm breakfast cereals, oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta and pulses.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Oily fish

Recent research, including a study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Centre, USA, suggests that omega-3 oils found in oily fish can prevent or slow down the growth of cancerous tumours.

This is because omega-3 oils are thought to keep cell growth under control. Step up your intake of fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and halibut.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), everyone should eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. A portion is 140g.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain a chemical called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which is believed by some experts to reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially prostate cancer.

There needs to be more research to support this theory, however, and as yet it’s not known how much lycopene is needed in the diet to offer protection.

Lycopene is widely cited as having other health benefits, too, so eating them can only be beneficial.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Red and purple grapes

Dark grapes contain a substance called reservatrol, a strong antioxidant which has been found in many studies to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and the formation of some tumours.

Red wine is another source of reservatrol, and has been cited in some studies as another weapon in the fight against cancer, but because alcohol is implicated as a cause of some cancers itself, it shouldn’t be regarded as a valuable cancer combatant.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Soya products

Diets rich in tofu and soya milk have been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer, according to recent research.

The new findings have arisen from joint work by experts from Cancer Research UK, the National University of Singapore, and the US National Cancer Institute. It seems that properties in soya affect the make-up of breast tissue.

As well as tofu and soya milk, soya can be found in beans, oils and yoghurt.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Carrots

Eating carrots may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. One 14-year study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia and the University of California in the US suggested the link beween higher blood levels of alpha-carotene, which is found in carrots, and a reduction in risk of these diseases.

Further control studies would be needed to prove the theory, especially as alpha-carotene is found in other orange-coloured veg, too. Another study, however, by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Danish Universities in February 2005, which was conducted on rats, found that falcarinol – another substance found in carrots – produced evidence of a reduced risk of cancer.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Walnuts

Walnuts have the highest antioxidant activity of all nuts, which means they provide good protection against cancer.

A study conducted at Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia, USA, suggests it may be because walnuts contain high levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols — unsaturated fats which seem to slow or prevent the development of tumours.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Seeds

Seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, which is thought to inhibit cancer cell growth and fights free radicals, the cancer-inducing molecules.

Vitamin E also boost the immune system, so there are many reasons to include seeds in your daily diet.

You can eat them – with the husks discarded – either sprinkled on to salads or by the handful.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Yoghurt

A recent study by an Irish team of scientists at University College Cork in the Republic of Ireland has found that the harmless bacteria found in probiotic yoghurt, known as bifidobacteria, can colonise tumours, growing inside them and destroying malignant cells.

The leader of the research study, Dr Mark Tangney, said: ‘Bacteria can leak out from the gut into the blood and grow inside tumours throughout the body where they can produce whatever we want. We can now genetically engineer these bacteria so they pump out anti-cancer agents specifically inside tumours.’

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Garlic

Scientists at the University of North Carolina have found that eating one to two servings of garlic – raw or cooked – per day can halve the risk of stomach cancer and reduce the risk of colon cancer by a third.

There is no evidence yet to suggest that garlic capsules work in the same way.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Herbs

Thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, coriander and basic all contain high levels of phyto-chemicals, which can help guard against cancers.

They offer a  protective effect against heart disease, too, so include them often in your diet.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Onions

Onions and leeks – which are from the same family of veg – contain sulphur compounds which are believed to offer protection against cancer, amongst other diseases.

You may also be at lower risk of stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure if you include them regularly in your diet.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Ginger

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that ginger can hamper the development of bowel cancer in mice, and now believe it could have a similar effect on humans.

It’s hoped that the popular spice may also help combat other cancers, too.

Ginger has been thought for thousands of years to have health-giving properties, and even now will help strengthen the immune system, which in turn keeps you in good condition for fighting disease.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy

Chilli

Chillis contain capsaicin, a substance that Nottingham University researchers claim triggers the death of cancer cells by attacking the cells’ power producers, known as mitochondria.

The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in mitochondria, effectively destroying cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy cells.

See also:

• 10 vital health checks for your man
   
• 10 steps to increase life expectancy