Diet and Cancer: 5 more of the best anti-cancer foods
Essential components to include in your daily diet
In the last blog I discussed 5 of the best anti-cancer foods and explained why it is so important that you include them in your daily diet. Today, I’m going to talk about the other top 5 anti-cancer foods for you to start tucking into each and every day. All 10 foods are plants of which I’m including mushrooms, which are generally classified as vegetables, but technically they are part of the fungi kingdom. Plants and fungi, contain a myriad of healing anti-cancer nutrients and phytonutrients which act on the body in many different ways. For example, fibre, found only in plants and fungi, is known to be protective against several types of cancer, including, colorectal, stomach, ovarian, endometrial and breast cancer. Colourful fruit and vegetables, contain powerful anti-oxidants which protect our cells from damage and reduce the risk of mutation. Certain phytonutrients have also been demonstrated to inhibit tumorigenesis (i.e. the formation of a tumour), suppress tumour growth, and have anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic properties. They can also stimulate the immune system, thus supporting the body in its ability to identify and eliminate any cancer cells as they develop.
Food is such a powerful tool in the quest to reduce cancer risk and to modify the biological behaviour of tumours. One of the most powerful choices that you can make every single day, in fact, multiple times a day, is to choose what to eat. I want to help empower you to make better food choices, choices that will help you not only survive your cancer diagnosis but enable you be thriving long after it.
Here I talk about 5 more of the best anti-cancer foods you can eat and explain what makes each one special.
Making better food choices is one of the many positive steps that you can make to improve your health. Whether you are interested in understanding more about how to reduce your risk of cancer occurring in the first place or you already have a diagnosis and want to improve your chances of surviving cancer, then we can support you.
If you would also like to understand more about which other diet and lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce your risk of cancer recurrence, support you through your cancer journey, and reduce your risk of recurrence, then register for our 90 Day Cancer Support Programme. Through this programme we help empower you through increased knowledge, how to implement the necessary changes in a sustainable manner. Lifelong changes that will make a huge difference to your overall health and disease risk profile. We aim to:
Improve your knowledge of what to eat & why: Giving you greater confidence and control over your potential outcome.
Support your immune system: To keep you feeling well, improve your potential outcome, and to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
Improve your energy levels and mood: Thereby improving your overall sense of wellbeing, and enabling you to put your energy into improving your health.
Optimise your nutritional status: To keep you feeling well, improve your potential outcome, and to reduce your risk of cancer recurrence.
Improve your healing after surgery: Through better nutritional choices.
Support your gut health: To reduce any adverse digestive symptoms and side effects, and to improve nutrient absorption.
Maintain your muscle mass: To keep you physically strong, better able to cope with any treatments offered, and improve your potential outcome.
Minimise treatment side effects: Aiming to mitigate the negative impact of any standard treatment received.
Reduce your risk of cancer recurrence: Through better nutrition and lifestyle choices.
Improve your quality of life: Through holistic support, helping you to thrive long after your cancer diagnosis.
If you don’t have an active or recent cancer diagnosis and are interested in ensuring that you stay this way, then we can help support you . Check out our 90 Day Health and Wellbeing programme for more information, or alternatively, if you have any questions then send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
5 more of the best anti-cancer foods: to include in your diet every day
1) Dark Leafy Greens
Such as: chard, coriander leaves, kale, parsley, rocket, sorrel, spinach, and watercress.
We all know that dark leafy greens are good for us, but few people are aware that as wholefoods go they offer the most nutrition per calorie. In other words, dark leafy green vegetables are the healthiest foods on the planet! (1)
This fact alone illustrates why we should be eating these amazing foods each and every day, but just in case you need even more persuasion then let’s talk about chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is a green compound found in all plants that enables photosynthesis. Without it plants could not grow. Chlorophyll makes dark leafy greens green in colour and this same chlorophyll, which is the most ubiquitous plant pigment in the world, has also been demonstrated to have significant anti-cancer benefits. It has been shown to bind to carcinogens, thereby preventing the bound carcinogens from accessing our DNA and potentially causing mutations (1). The more dark leafy greens that you eat, the more chlorophyll you will have available in your body to bind to any carcinogens that may be floating around in your body. Green salad anyone!
2) Other vegetables
Such as: artichokes, asparagus, beetroot, courgette, peppers, carrots, sweetcorn, garlic, mushrooms, okra, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, rhubarb, seaweeds, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes.
The term vegetable simply means all parts of the plant that aren’t fruit. There are root vegetables, stem vegetables, pod vegetables, flower vegetables and of course green leafy vegetables too, with each vegetable having a different nutrient profile. To benefit from such a diverse range of nutrients and to get all the health benefits available (2), it is important that you eat an assortment of vegetables. With respect to cancer, researchers from one very interesting study where 34 common vegetables were tested in-vitro against 8 types of human cancer cells stated that “a diversified diet, containing several distinct classes of vegetables is essential for effective prevention of cancer” (3). Variety of intake has also been shown to be a better predictor of decreased inflammation than absolute quantity of consumption (4), and as previously discussed, inflammation is a key hallmark of cancer (5). Some examples of how specific vegetables can help you to create a body in with cancer cannot thrive are detailed below.
Mushrooms: My favourite! These beauties contain a whole host of health promoting properties, including many different myconutritents which are only obtainable from the fungi kingdom.
Studies have demonstrated that mushroom consumption can both boost the immune system (6), thereby supporting anti-cancer function whilst also reducing inflammation and therefore not aggravating inflammatory diseases (7), such as allergies and autoimmune conditions. The term often used for this is immune modulatory.
White mushrooms have also been shown to block an enzyme called oestrogen synthase, an enzyme which breast tumours can use to create oestrogen to fuel their growth. One study demonstrated that women who ate just half a mushroom a day on average had 64% lower odds of breast cancer compared to those who ate none.
And a subject for another day is medicinal mushrooms, such as, Reishi, Turkey Tail (Coriolus versicolor) and Lions Mane. I’ll discuss these in a separate post and how they can be utilised to both support cancer prevention and as natural adjuvants in integrative oncology.
The allium family (e.g. chives, garlic, onions and leeks): of all the vegetables tested in the study mentioned above (3), those with the greatest anti-cancer properties were either cruciferous vegetables (see previous blog) or from the allium family.
There really is every reason to pile your plate high with a wide range of different vegetables. And remember that vegetables come with no adverse side effects! Further studies have demonstrated that while vegetables can destroy cancer cells (in vitro at least) they leave normal cells alone. They truly are amazing.
3) Flaxseeds
Among his many inspirational words, Mahatma Gandhi said this about the simple flaxseed: "Wherever flaxseed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health."
Flaxseeds are amazing gifts from nature. They are a good source of fibre and best known for being the richest plant source of essential omega-3 fatty acids. However, what makes flaxseeds extra special with respect to cancer is that they also contain more than 100 times the level of lignan precursors, than any other food. Lignans are phytoestrogens, that once activated by the good bacteria in our gut (more reasons to eat more plants!), can reduce the effect of the body’s own oestrogen. Flaxseed is well studied and it has been demonstrated that:
Lignan intake is associated with significantly reduced breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women (8).
Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumour growth in patients with breast cancer (9).
Lignans have been shown to slow down the growth of prostate cancer in a petri dish (10).
All good reasons to include these in your daily diet. I’ve been religiously eating them ever since my breast cancer diagnosis and certainly intend to carry on doing so! Like with all plants foods, there is only upside to be gained from their consumption and its also good to know that while they’re busy protecting you against cancer they are also helping to lower your blood pressure.
4) Nuts and Seeds
Such as: Brazil nuts, cashews, chia seeds, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
Nuts and seeds are actually all seeds, and seeds are thought to be so health promoting because they contain in concentrated amounts all the essential nutrients needed to grow into a mature plant or tree. As with all plant sub-groups the individual nuts and seeds contain an array of different nutrients and so ensuring that you eat a wide variety is key to reaping all their benefits. For example:
Sesame seeds are rich in manganese, copper, calcium and vitamins B1 and E. They also contain lignans with anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties and contain phytosterols associated with reduced blood cholesterol and oestrogen management.
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of protein, omega fats and important minerals (manganese, zinc, copper, magnesium) and vitamin E. They also contain lignans and are rich in phytosterols particularly B-sitosterol.
Each nut or seed has its own unique blend of nutrients so aim for a different mix every single day.
5) Herbs and Spices
Such as: Allspice, basil, bay leaves, cardamom, chilli powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, horseradish, lemongrass, marjoram, mustard seeds, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, peppermint, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme, turmeric, and vanilla.
Herbs and spices not only provide wonderful flavours and aromas for our meals, they provide a multitude of health benefits. Thanks to their intense colours and flavours, most herbs and spices are anti-oxidant powerhouses, protecting our cells from damage, and therefore protecting us from cancer.
One of the most well studied and well known is turmeric, a potent anti-inflammatory, where one of its a phytochemical components, curcumin, has been shown to play a role in preventing a variety of cancers, including multiple myeloma, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer (1).
Oregano, the herb with the highest anti-oxidant content has been shown to reduce DNA damage with researchers stating that oregano may “act as a potent radio protective agent” (11).
Again, variety is key as each herb and spice contains its own unique blend of anti-cancer nutrients, so make a point of adding delicious aromatic dishes to your culinary repertoire.
Creating a body in which cancer cannot thrive.
Food is an extremely powerful tool in the prevention of cancer. Making better choices about what you nourish your body with each and every day, can greatly reduce your risk of cancer and improve the chances of a positive outcome for those already with a diagnosis. As shown plant foods contain a wide variety of anti-cancer components which makes them the very best anti-cancer foods available. However, as with most things, some are just a little bit better than others and I hope that I have helped you to understand why these 5 food groups are among the best. Please read my previous blog post for the other top 5 anti-cancer foods to add to your daily diet.
I appreciate and know from my own experience that all this information can be a little overwhelming. There is so much conflicting information out there as to what can help protect us from cancer, that you may not know what to believe anymore. It can be especially challenging for those with a recent diagnoses, who just don’t know what to do for the best.
I have been in your situation and I felt totally overwhelmed. If this is you and you would like some help navigating through this challenging time then please look at how we can help you.
There are so many positive steps, through more positive food choices and lifestyle changes, that you can take to improve your situation and we can help to determine where best to focus. Take a look at our 90 Day Cancer Support Programme for more information as to how we can support you, or alternatively, if you have any questions then send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Sarah Eglin: Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (mBANT) and breast cancer ‘thriver’
If you would like to read more about my personal experience with breast cancer and my journey back to great health then please click on the following links for more in depth information.
You can also join my Facebook group - Become a Cancer ‘Thriver’ and follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
References
(1) Gregor M. (2016). How Not to Die. London. Macmillan.
(2) Dias JS. (2012). ‘Nutritional quality and health benefits of vegetables: a review.’ Food and Nutrition Sciences. Vol 3(10), p1354-1374.
(3) Biovin D et al. (2009). ‘Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: a comparative study.’ Food Chem. Vol 112, p347-380.
(4) Bhupathiraju SN, Tucker KL. (2011). ‘Greater variety in fruit and vegetable intake is associated with lower inflammation in Puerto Rican adults.’ Am J Clin Nutr. Vol 93(1), p37-46.
(5) Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. (2011). ‘Hallmarks of Cancer: The Next Generation.’ Cell Vol 144 (5), p646-674.
(6) Jeong SC, Koyyalamudi SR. (2011). ‘Dietary intake of Agaricusbisporus white button mushroom accelerates salivaray immunolobulin A secretion in healthy volunteers.’ Nutrition. Vol 28(5), p527-531.
(7) Jesenak M et al. (2014). ‘Anti-allergic effect of Pleuran (B-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.’ Phytother Res. Vol28(3), p471-4.
(8) Buck K et al. (2010). ‘Meta-analyses of lignans and enterolignans in relation to breast cancer risk.’ Clin Nutr. Vol 92(1), p141-153.
(9) Thompson LU et al. (2005). ‘Dietary flaxseed alters tumour biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer.’ Clin Cancer Res. Vol 11(10), p3828-3835.
(10) Lin X, Switzer BR. (2001). ‘Effect of mammalian lignans on the growth of prostate cancer cell lines.’ Anticancer Res. Vol 21(6A), p3995-3999.
(11) Arami S et al. (2013). ‘The radioprotective effects of Origanum vulgare extract against genotoxicity induced by (131)I in human blood lymphocyte.’ Cancer Biother Radiopharm. Vol 28(3), p201-206.