See also: nutrition and cancer, is there an effective diet against cancer?
By Doctor Nicola Sacchi - Author of the book: Drugs and doping in sport -
«Anticancer foods
Green tea
Green tea is the richest in polyphenols and in particular in epigallocatechins.
The varieties richest in polyphenols are the Japanese ones and to bring these substances into the drink it is important to leave the leaves to infuse for at least 8-10 minutes.
Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. belong to the family of berries.
This plant family contains several substances belonging to the class of polyphenols which have a preventive activity in the development of tumors. The substances in question are ellagic acid, anthocyanidins and protocyanidins.
These substances are preserved well even if frozen so you can use frozen products to have a source of berries all year round.
Omega-3s
Omega-3s are essential fatty acids for humans. They have already been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, hormonal, and obesity problems; the omega three therefore act on various levels of the body's health, balancing the production of prostaglandins. Omega-3s are contained in foods such as fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, in flaxseed and hempseed oil.
Their antitumor activity is linked to the anti-inflammatory activity.
Tomatoes
The anti-cancer effects of tomatoes are linked to the presence of a particular carotenoid called lycopene. This substance is also responsible for the red color of this vegetable and other fruits (watermelon, pink grapefruit for example). The mechanisms by which lycopene reduces cancer development are still unclear.
The action of lycopene is enhanced by cooking tomatoes in the presence of fatty substances, such as in tomato concentrate.
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits contain various substances belonging to the classes of polyphenols and gods terpenes, which have been seen to reduce the incidence of tumors of the digestive system.
These foods can be consumed both fresh and as a juice and also provide large amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Red wine
Red wine contains not only alcohol but also numerous substances, belonging to the class of polyphenols, particularly resveratrol, which have beneficial effects on health. Resveratrol, in fact, has been shown to have an anti-cancer action similar to that of some medicines.
But be careful not to abuse this drink, because excessive use brings more harm than good to health. The classic glass a day is the right quantity to exploit the beneficial effects of the polyphenols contained in the wine without having harmful effects due to alcohol.
Conclusions
Today, there is no effective cure for any type of cancer. Despite the many advances in cancer medicine, we are still unable to solve these diseases. However, we can do our best to prevent the onset and development of tumors; in this sense, nature has provided us with many tools to do so. One of these tools is definitely nutrition! More and more studies show how some eating habits can give us a hand in the difficult task of prevention.
Today we know that taking particular foods on a regular basis can help prevent cancer; our eating habits can therefore determine our future health.
