Cancer is a dangerous disease which causes your body’s cells to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way and if not treated early, it can often be fatal. The good news is that the latest research suggests that around one in three cancers are linked to diet. This means by eating the right foods you can cut your cancer risk by up to 33%. In this article I’m going to be discussing which nutrients have been specifically linked with cancer prevention and then highlighting some of the best food sources.

Which Nutrients In Food Can Protect Against Cancer? 

Many of the nutrients in natural, unprocessed foods have been shown to prevent cancer and these are outlined in the list below:

1) Fiber: Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that can be found in the vast majority of fruits and vegetable. Studies have shown that a high fiber diet can reduce your risk for many different types of cancer including breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.

2) Fat: Fat isn’t usually praised as a cancer fighting food or even a health food. However, not only is it essential for good health but research has shown that eating lots of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat can also protect you from cancer.

3) Vitamins: The vitamins are a selection of 13 nutrients that have countless benefits in the body including cancer prevention. In particular, vitamins A, B9, C, D and E have all been shown to reduce your cancer risk.

4) Minerals: The minerals are a group of nutrients that act in a similar way to the vitamins and support many of the important processes in your body. Some of the minerals can also protect against cancer with studies suggesting that copper, germanium, molybdenum, selenium and vanadium are all potent cancer fighters.

5) Phytonutrients: The phytonutrients are a huge selection of nutrients that can be found in many fruits and vegetables. They’re not classed as essential nutrients but they’re one of the most powerful cancer preventing nutrient groups around.

Which Food Can Protect Against Cancer?

The best foods for protecting against cancer are those that contain high levels of the nutrients listed above. As a general rule, natural, unprocessed foods contain large amounts of these nutrients but if you’re struggling for ideas, the list below outlines five of the best cancer preventing foods:

1) Almonds: Almonds are loaded with fiber, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E and copper. They’re also very filling and make a great healthy snack.

2) Blueberries: Blueberries are one of the most phytonutrient rich foods around and also contain extremely high levels of vitamin C and vitamin E. In addition to this, they’re super sweet and an excellent choice for dessert.

3) Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are a top source of dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fats. They can be eaten on their own or mixed with yogurt to create a tasty cancer fighting snack.

4) Green Tea: Green tea is one of the most well publicized cancer fighting foods around and is packed full of phytonutrients. The taste does take some getting used to, so if you find it a little overpowering try adding honey or lemon to the glass.

5) Soybeans: Soybeans are another brilliant source of phytonutrients and also contain high levels of copper, fiber and polyunsaturated fat. They’re an extremely versatile vegetable and can be added to virtually any meal.

Summary

Incorporating more cancer fighting foods into your diet can go long way towards protecting you from this nasty disease. So if you’re not eating the foods above on a regular basis, now is the time to make some changes. Ditch the processed foods, stock up on these healthy, natural cancer fighting foods and give your body the protection it deserves.