Thursday, November 10, 2011

Breast cancer combat: 15 super foods to the rescue

The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”

If so, these words bespoken once by Sir Thomas Edison bear profound witness to the fact that large bodies of data are now being published with continued efforts in research toward the beneficial effects of food therapy in treating all kinds of ailments.

As October was breast cancer awareness month, I’d like to dedicate an entire article to all the women who deserve to be treated with a ladle full of TLC served with a side dish of gastronomic-advice!
Breast cancer remains the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Exercise and putting curbs on that cigarette are important ways to reduce your risk, coupled with following a right diet, which will go a long way in promoting better immunity against fighting a wide range of illnesses. The easiest, least-expensive way to reduce your risk for cancer is just by eating a healthy diet.

Here’s a list of some promising tumor zapping foods ideal for women. Don’t worry on those calories, for once just go binge!

Green IS envy
Spinach, asparagus and broccoli are nutrient dense, full of essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants and are high in folic content. A diet low in folates makes an individual susceptible for DNA mutations that cause cancer. Green vegetables have a chemical component called indole-3-carbinol that appears to inhibit estrogen’s power to promote the growth of breast cancer cells. Broccoli contains the phytochemical sulforaphane that stops breast cancer cells in their tracks and encourages them to self-destruct. In one Western New York Diet Study, premenopausal women who ate the most broccoli had a 40 percent lower breast cancer risk than women who didn’t gorge on them as much.

Soak up the sun with some lemonade
Don’t skip on your daily dose of sunshine. In just 10 minutes, you can soak up as much as 5,000 IU of vitamin D if you expose 40 percent of your body to the sun, without sunscreen. Vit. D plays an important role in simply shrinking and triggering the cell death process of cancer-cells, according to JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, who studied the effects of vitamin D for 25 years.
Furthermore, oranges and lemons contain “Iimonene,” which stimulates cancer-killing immune cells (lymphocytes) that may also break down cancer-causing substances.

Smile giddily with a milk moustache
Vitamin D curbs the growth of cancer cells. A report presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) showed a link between increased vitamin D intake and reduced breast cancer risk. It found vitamin D to lower the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50 percent.
While milk contains a good amount of vitamin D, make sure you opt for the low-fat variety to gain its maximum benefits.

Sprinkle some turmeric with love
The wonderful benefits of turmeric could not be raved less about. It is a ginger-based herb used in the form of ground powder, which is a very popular seasoning found in Indian dishes mainly for adding flavor and color.
The key feature of turmeric is in its anti- inflammatory action, which is a key mediator in the multiplication of cancerous cells. Countless studies have proved its efficacy in treating a wide range of ailments placing it among nature’s most powerful healers.

Ever so ginger-ly…
Researchers have discovered ginger’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties that give it the ability to kill cancer cells in various ways. Ginger root was recently the subject of a research report presented at The American Association for Cancer research conference in Phoenix. In the study, ginger actually suppressed cancer cells suggesting that the herb was able to fuel apoptosis, or the death of the cancer cells. More research is required to confirm if its properties can halt the progression of cancer altogether.

Pop em’ cherries
Cherries contain flavonoids and extracts known to inhibit cancer-cell proliferation. They also contain natural anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Sit pretty and pop one, two, three or…(okay you get it) into your mouth as a treat! The more sour, the better!

It ain’t fishy!
Studies show eating some fish twice a week is good for your health, especially if salmon figures on top of the menu. This super food contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, which research shows lowers the risk of breast cancer, reduces inflammation, improves blood flow and may improve response to chemotherapy.

Do the tomatina
Diced, sliced, pureed, pasted or sun-dried tomatoes are well-known for containing lycopene: a powerful, cancer-fighting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. No wonder it’s the most popular veggie in the basket. Choose the brightest red and chop!

Flaxseed
This tiny wonder food contains cancer-fighting compounds that protect because of their ability to reduce the chances of cancer cells spreading. Flaxseeds are packed with fiber and omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation in the body.

More power to the berries
They’re real yummy and thankfully another plus is that strawberries, blackberries and raspberries contain a common and powerful cancer fighter called ellagic acid. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries especially contain an abundance of antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of a number of cancers.

Be pretty with rosemary
Rosemary may help increase the activity of detoxification enzymes. An extract of rosemary- carnosol, has shown to inhibit the development of both breast and skin tumors in animals. Rosemary can be used as a seasoning. It can also be consumed as a tea: Use 1 tsp. dried leaves per cup of hot water, steep for 15 minutes, strain and drink. Rosy, ain’t it?

Sweet with sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain many anticancer properties, including beta-carotene, which may protect DNA in the cell nucleus from cancer-causing chemicals outside the nuclear membrane.

Crunch those almonds
Eating almonds on a regular basis may have a positive effect in the fight against breast cancer for two reasons. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fat, which is a healthy bonus. Plus, they are high in flavonoids, which are implicated in the natural removal of cancer-causing agents in the body.

Tea-time, anyone?
Green tea is loaded with polyphenol antioxidants considered to have anti-cancer properties. A study presented at Experimental Biology in 2008 shows that the green tea antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) significantly slowed breast cancer growth in female mice.
Say, “Care for some high tea?”

Extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil is simply a healthier type of fat and eating it in place of unhealthy saturated fat and trans fat lowers cancer risk. The other benefit is that olive oil comes from a fruit that contains many of the therapeutic cancer fighting compounds, like phenols and lignans. Researchers at Northwestern University have also discovered that the oleic acid in olive oil actively suppresses a gene associated with the development of a very aggressive form of breast cancer and even improves the effectiveness of the cancer drug treatment.

Source : ArabNews

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