5 Superfoods for Cancer
The term cancer applies to a wide variety of specific conditions. Skin cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer and a wide range of other terms apply to specific variations of the disease. In simple terms, these conditions refer to situations where our own cells begin to work independently from our larger biological system. Symptoms of all types of cancer are commonly weakness, weight loss, tumor growth and pain.
Thankfully, five particular foods can provide our bodies with extra cancer protection:
1. Berries
The latest cancer treatments stress how important calories and tasty foods are to a patient’s quality of life. People are often unprepared for the degreated sense of taste which usually comes with chemotherapy. The berry offers a naturally sweet taste which many people are able to enjoy even when other foods seem bland and tasteless. This means that people with cancer can actually enjoy this naturally nutritious source of calories. What’s more, they’re typically quite easy on the stomach. And different berries also come with a wide variety of antioxidants which might help the body fight off cancer cells.
2. Cruciferous vegetables
This class of vegetable is naturally high in folate. This important nutrient helps form red and white blood cells in our bone marrow. This makes the vegetable extremely important for any cancer which impacts bones. Myeloma cancer treatment options usually stress the importance of adding extra folate to the diet. The vegetables also contain compounds known as glucosinolates. It remains to be seen how well this extends to humans. But at the moment rodent studies have shown that these compounds can inactivate carcinogens, reduce inflammation, and inhibit growth and spread of cancer cells.
3. Fatty fish
The exact mechanism of action remains to be found. But it was found that people with a diet high in fatty fish experience a 53% decrease in their risk for colorectal cancer. Additionally this effect seems to hold true for those simply taking a fish oil supplement. A study showed that people taking fish oil supplements had their risk of colon cancer decreased by 63%.
4. Walnuts
Walnuts are a nutritional powerhouse. They’re especially important as a non-animal source of many types of healthy fatty acids. The nuts are also high in protein and calories. This makes them especially beneficial to people who have trouble eating. It doesn’t take many of the nuts to fulfill our caloric needs.
The nuts might also help prevent breast cancer through a substance called pedunculagin. This substance can block some estrogen receptors in the human body. By doing so it appears to help decrease overall risks for breast cancer.
5. Legumes
Legumes encompass a wide variety of items. These include everything from lentils to beans. Even peas fall under this label. They offer a tremendous level of variety among their various forms. This makes it a lot easier to add to one’s diet without any risk of tedium. And anyone with concerns about cancer will want to make a point of doing so. The plants provide an impressive amount of both fiber and protein. The protein is important for building up muscle all throughout the body. And this includes strengthening heart muscle as well. On top of this, a considerable number of studies have shown the plant capable of reducing our risk for various types of cancer. It seems to be particularly effective in reducing overall risks for breast cancer.