Wohlford says that the best way to get the most protection from cancer is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, and the easiest way to do this is to “eat the rainbow” — that is, choose a wide variety of colors when you’re at the grocery store. “Keep in mind that there are more than 4,000 phytochemicals that have been discovered and researched,” she says. “There’s not any one super-food that contains all of them. They all offer different functions and benefits.” [2] The following foods are known as cancer-fighting powerhouses. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but including them in your diet is a good start to lowering your cancer risk.
1. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and turnips, among many others. They are rich in a number of important nutrients, including carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin), vitamins C, E, and K, folate, and minerals .
These hearty vegetables are also an excellent source of glucosinolates, indoles, and isothiocyanates, which are sulfur-containing chemicals that give cruciferous vegetables their pungent aroma. These compounds have been associated with a lower risk of lung and colorectal cancer . Research has indicated that eating cruciferous vegetables can lower your risk of developing several types of cancers, including prostate, colorectal, lung, and breast cancer .
2. Turmeric
This popular, bright orange spice comes from the root of the turmeric plant and is related to the ginger family. There are over one hundred different compounds in turmeric, but the curcumin it contains is the active ingredient that provides most of its benefits . There is some research to show that turmeric may play a role in the prevention of cancer, possibly because it lowers inflammation levels throughout the body.
Inflammation underlies most chronic diseases, including cancer, so decreasing inflammation in your body can help to prevent it. Other studies suggest that including curcumin in chemotherapy treatment may make it more effective and that it may protect healthy cells from damage due to radiation treatment .
3. Mushrooms
