Anti-Cancer Fruits

There are so many good things that come with technology and modernization but sadly, the same are also responsible for a lot of diseases that only our generation has witnessed.

I have been an advocate of healthy lifestyle after recovering from bouts with illnesses in our family a few years back. We try to avoid food that are known to be bad or unhealthy like sodas, chips, processed and the likes.

Abstaining from these types of food is not enough to be considered healthy. We also need to consume and eat food that would help our body to combat illnesses.

Lately, I've been hearing one sad story after another that concerns the big C. Cancer is becoming prevalent and all the more we should take steps to avoid it.

While there is no guarantee that a certain diet will cure or prevent Cancer, it's still wiser to be aware of what scientists or dietitians say about the food we serve on our table. After all, eating healthy is a choice.



A friend recommended this and I deem that I owe it to my readers that I also share not just recipes or reviews but also tips about health. Take a look at this list of fruits that are said to be Anti-Cancer.

Many types of cancer are induced by the food we eat. Cancer can also be prevented or helped by adding super fruits to our diet. Here are the Top 14 best anti-cancer super fruits and why they are so good for you:

BLUEBERRIES Researchers have shown blueberries contain pterostilbene, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, flavonols, and tannins, which inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development. Besides this, blueberry can also alleviate the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, prevent urinary tract infections, and reduce blood sugar.

GRAPES Grape is a perennial and deciduous woody vine. Its berries can be eaten raw or be made into juice, jam, jelly, wine, raisins, and others. Grapes are found in almost all parts of the world. Grapes contain phytochemicals such as resveratrol which has been positively implicated to inhibit any type of cancer.

DRAGON FRUIT Dragonfruit is rich in phytoalbumin antioxidants which help carcinogenic free-radical formation in the body. It is also rich in fiber, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins C and B2, as well as its helps excrete metal toxins from the body.

CITRUS FRUITS Citrus fruits include orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc. This kind of fruits contains a large number of bioflavonoids, which can enhance the activity of certain enzymes in human skin, lung, stomach and liver, and change the fat-soluble carcinogenic substance into water-soluble, so as to make them not easy to be absorbed and can be expelled out of the body. At the same time, they can enhance the absorptive capacity of vitamin C by the human body.

Vitamin C is an important cancer substance, which can enhance human immunity, prevent the formation of nitrosamines--a strong carcinogen. What's more, it also has certain effect in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.A study published a few years ago in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, for instance, found that people who consume the highest amounts of flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, a subgroup of flavonoids, were 44 percent less likely to develop oral cancer, 40 percent less likely to develop laryngeal cancer, and 30 percent less likely to develop colon cancer compared to others.

AVOCADO Avocados contain lutein, an anti-cancer carotenoid. Lutein lowers the risk of prostate cancer in men and protects eyes against fatal diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts. Another cancer-fighting component of avocado is glutathione that can significantly cuts the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer. Avocados are also rich in potassium, vitamins, and heart-healthy fats.

STRAWBERRIES Anti cancer action is actually related to the polyphenols contained in the berries, rather than in their antioxidant potential, as is commonly assumed. A diet containing a high proportion of strawberries or raspberries (5% or more of total diet) in animals, has been found to significantly decrease the number of esophageal tumors triggered by NMBA, a known powerful carcinogen. Ellagic acid appears to prevent the activation of carcinogenic substances into cellular toxins, causing them to lose their ability to react with DNA and induce mutations capable of triggering the onset of cancer. In addition, strawberry also contains a kind of amine substance, which has good effect in the prevention of leukemia and other diseases related with blood.

ACAI BERRIES Laboratory studies have shown that acai berries can kill off cancer cells. Extracts from the berries can induced the death of leukemia cells. Other beneficial contents of acai are its antioxidants (found to be twice than in blueberries), omega fatty acids, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and fiber.

NONI According to recent studies, noni has properties that may be beneficial in preventing cancer. The extract from the tropical plant indicates some anti-cancer properties useful for the immune system. Moreover, noni contains carbohydrates, dietary fibers, niacin, calcium, iron and potassium.

GOJI BERRIES It has been found out that goji berries contain selenium, a trace mineral that acts an antioxidant which can neutralize free radicals that damage cells and cause cancer. Goji berries are also rich in other nutrients and phytochemicals like amino acids, carotenoids like beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, polysaccharides, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, iron, zinx, and riboflavin.

MANGOSTEEN Mangosteen is anti-cancer and helps cancer prevention. Various studies have shown that phytoceuticals in Mangosteen (in some cases known to be its xanthones) have properties such as: anti-tumor (shrinks tumors), anti-leukemia, antifungal (critical for all cancer patients), antibacterial (to protect DNA), antioxidants (at least two dozen different kinds of xanthones are in the mangosteen fruit), antiproliferation, kills cancer cells and causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) for some types of cancer. This is a pretty impressive list of cancer credentials!This fruit has countless health benefits like ant-ulcer, anti-aging, antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal, anti-depressant, anti-obesity, anti-allergenic, anti-cataract, and many more. Mangosteen also contains: catechins, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins.

SOURSOP Soursop has anti-cancer characteristics and is best for all types of cancer. The fruit is also anti-stress, anti-bacterial, antifungal, anti-depressant, and anti-worms.

POMEGRANATE Studies have reported that the fruits contain phytochemicals that can suppress aromatase, an enzyme which converts androgen into estrogen and which is associated with breast cancer. Furthermore, clinical trials have shown the pomegranate extracts can prevent prostate cancer in men.

KIWI Kiwi contains plenty of vitamins, especially vitamin C, the content of which is 4 to 12 times as that of orange. Through the researches in recent years, it is confirmed that kiwi contains a kind of active ingredient, which can block the formation of carcinogenic "nitrosamines" in the human body. As a result, it has a good effect in preventing cancer.

APPLE Apple peels contain as many as a dozen cancer-fighting chemical compounds, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."We found that several compounds have potent anti-proliferative activities against human liver, colon and breast cancer cells, and may be partially responsible for the anti-cancer activities of whole apples," said Rui Hai Liu, an associate professor of food science.

I have eaten some of them and I'm glad to discover those fruits that I am yet to taste and see. How about you?