The foods and lifestyle that a person leads can increase or decrease the chances of developing cancer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exercising, giving up toxins such as alcohol and tobacco, and eating healthy could help prevent between 30% and 40% of cancers.
Cancer can appear from several causes. “These factors can be non-modifiable such as genetics or modifiable such as tobacco, pollution or food,” says Dr. Miguel Ángel Berenguer Francés, a medical and radiotherapeutic oncologist, in a publication on the Business Insider web portal.
In the article, it is mentioned that diet is key to avoiding any type of disease and that a balanced and healthy diet will help reduce the risk of cancer.
This is because essential nutrients are provided to the body to avoid damage to cells, but also to achieve a healthy weight, since obesity is one of the main risk factors, indicates Business Insider.
The publication also points out that there are foods that help prevent cancer and are recommended by the doctor and scientific advisor Emilia Gómez Pardo. Here are some of the foods mentioned by the specialist:
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, or cabbage, among others) contain isothiocyanates, which are elements that seem to help reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.
The sulforaphane present in these foods, especially in broccoli, favors the inhibition of the clonogenic capacity of cells in ovarian cancer, according to a study published in 2007.
A 2010 study also indicates that these types of vegetables could help reduce the probability of developing breast cancer.
Spinach
The consumption of spinach and other green leafy vegetables such as chard, turnip greens, kale, etc., could be linked to greater survival for ovarian cancer patients, according to research published in Nature, the entry on the role that diet can play when facing cancer.
This is because they contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients that are more than recommended for the body when fighting inflammation.
Red pepper
Carotenoids are a diverse group of natural pigments and are present in many fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, red peppers, etc. They give these colors that can go from red to orange as well as yellow.
Business Insider indicates that these foods possess multiple beneficial health properties, for example, these antioxidants play a relevant role in vision, but also appear to have a beneficial impact on reducing carcinogenesis.
Research published in 2017 indicates that women with high levels of β-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, lycopene, and carotenoids appear to have a reduced risk of breast cancer.
Berries
Strawberries, currants, blueberries, blackberries, or grapes, among other foods with shades ranging from reddish to bluish, have a high anthocyanin content.
Anthocyanin is a substance characterized by its high antioxidative capacity possible properties anticancer, antitumor, and antiinflammatory.
Kiwi
Kiwifruit stands out for its high content of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant, crucial among other things for the immune system, fighting the development of cancer cells.
Apple
This fruit has a large amount of dietary fiber and polyphenolic compounds that associate with gut microbes to create an environment that can reduce the risk of cancer, according to researchers from the University of Perugia (Italy).
The study indicates that people who consumed apples regularly were less likely to have certain tumors, including lung, intestine, mouth, digestive tract, and breast, compared to people who did not eat this fruit regularly.
Tomato
It is a food rich in antioxidants and vitamin C (a serving of tomato covers 61% of the recommended daily intake), provitamin A and lycopene, a carotenoid that is abundant in this food linked to many health benefits, including the prevention of certain types of cancer.
