Every year, 10 million people develop cancer and 70% of these cancers are directly related to our lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, bad eating habits, alcohol and drugs are factors that can be directly linked to the development of certain cancers.
When we know that 30% of these are directly linked to our diet, how can we not look into the matter and identify the habits to be taken?
This is what we will do throughout this article.
West versus East
In the East, the perception of the role of daily food is quite different from the one we know. For them, diet is associated with maintaining health.
At home, we eat to provide a source of energy essential to our survival. The calorie intake is ubiquitous and we consume a lot of protein and animal fats unlike Orientals who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Their primary source of protein comes from legumes and fish, which greatly reduces saturated fat intake.
Another big difference is that in Western countries, the industrialization of food has taken over from small producers, to the detriment of the quality of food (white flours, vegetable oils, processed products and enriched with sugar, fat, salt and additives of all kinds).
It must be noted that cases of cancers are more present in the West than in the East (I am talking about traditional Eastern culture and not what happens in the big "Westernized" cities). So it's interesting to look at their habits and see what we could learn from them to preserve our health.
How about opting for a diet that not only allows us to provide our bodies with the energy they need to thrive, but also keeps them healthy over the long term and safe from certain diseases like cancer?
Prevention and therapy, the same battle
Being healthy is about being in balance between disease triggers and disease preventers. If there is a deficiency of certain food factors, an imbalance is created, thus promoting the development of certain diseases such as cancer.
Providing the body with the missing nutrients restores the balance essential for health. Many researchers have looked at the benefits of certain nutrients and have come to the conclusion that a range of foods possess anti-cancer properties by acting as drugs and interfering with processes involved in the development of cancer.
We're not just talking about antioxidants here! Although these play a predominant role in fighting free radicals and boosting immunity, other foods, in addition to their antioxidant role, possess molecules with the property of targeting a large number of events related to the development of cancer.
This is the case of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family), garlic and onion, soy, turmeric, green tea, omega 3, small berries, tomatoes, citrus fruits and chocolate.
Anti-cancer foods and their mode of action
- Cruciferous vegetables
This category of vegetables corresponds to the cabbage family. This includes head cabbage (white or red), leafy cabbage (kale, kale, ...), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, ... From time immemorial in our lands, they were grown to salve various ailments: gastrointestinal disorders, gout, deafness, remedy against alcohol abuse, ...
But in recent years, researchers have found them to have anti-cancer effects. Eating five servings of cabbage per week would cut in half the risk of bladder, breast, lung, prostate or gastrointestinal cancers. These properties are due to the high concentrations of glucosinolates in these vegetables.
Beware, however, that these compounds are very sensitive to water as well as heat. It is therefore important to cook these vegetables as little as possible and to limit the use of liquid as much as possible. Think of quick steaming or stir-frying. Also note that mastication releases the active molecules of these glucosinolates.
Focus on broccoli
Broccoli alone has very powerful anti-cancer properties due to the presence of sulforaphane (a sulfur rich glucosinolate).
This molecule accelerates the body's elimination of toxic substances that have the potential to induce cancers; decreases the occurrence, number, and size of tumors (found in rats and but could apply to humans); and has antibiotic and bactericidal properties, playing an important role in preventing digestive cancers.
- Garlic and Onion
The sulfur compounds in garlic and onion make them great allies in the fight against cancers of the digestive system (cancer of the esophagus, stomach, colon, ...)
Garlic is also effective in preventing the development of cancers caused by nitrosamines. These are formed by the intestinal flora from nitrites, preservatives found in marinades, sausages, ham, ...
Garlic and onion compounds, such as allicin, interfere with the development of cancers by inhibiting the enzymes responsible for activating carcinogens while increasing those involved in eliminating these compounds, with the result that cells are less exposed to carcinogens.
Last but not least, the compounds in garlic and onion, attack tumor cells, causing their destruction by apoptosis.
- Soybeans
The primary phytochemicals associated with soy are a group of polyphenols called "isoflavones." These are mainly found in soy flour, beans and some fermented products such as miso. The presence of isoflavones is very important because these molecules can have a significant influence on several events associated with cancer cell growth.
Beware, however, that isoflavones resemble estrogen, which can affect hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancers. In these cases, it is best to avoid all soy consumption. However, note that consuming soy as a preventative reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.
To learn more about soy, please see our articles on the subject:
- The turmeric
This spice from India and Indonesia has many therapeutic virtues. This medicinal herb purifies the body and has been used for many years to treat a wide variety of physical disorders such as digestive disorders, fever, infections, arthritis, dysentery, liver problems,...
Curcuminoids, the main compounds in turmeric (which gives them that yellowish color) give it the following properties: anti-thrombotic, cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant and anti-cancer.
Curcumin is useful in the prevention of cancers of the stomach, intestine, colon, skin and liver. It helps block the growth of tumor cells and prevents the formation of new blood vessels, which deprives the tumors of their energy source.
It is important to know that one of the molecules in pepper, piperine, greatly increases the absorption of curcumin, which maximizes its benefits.
- Green Tea
Green tea contains catechins (polyphenols), which give them anti-cancer virtues. The amount of these polyphenols varies depending on where the tea is grown, the diversity of the plants, the season of harvest, and the tea-making processes.
In general, Japanese teas have better anti-cancer properties than Chinese teas. The brewing time is also important, ideally 8 to 10 minutes. The green teas richest in catechins are sencha and gyokuro.
Black tea, on the other hand, has very little anti-cancer properties because the polyphenols have been oxidized in the tea fermentation process, which eliminates all the anti-cancer potential.
- Omega 3
These essential fatty acids reduce the risk of developing cancer of the breast, prostate and colon. They also increase the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and have a direct effect on cancer cells by altering their ability to escape death by apoptosis (the process by which cells initiate self-destruction in response to a signal) and by preventing the development of new blood vessels essential for their growth.
- Small Berries
Small berries such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries have anticancer potential due to the presence of ellagic acid, anthocyanidins, and proanthocyanidins. Ellagic acid is a polyphenol that helps tofight tumor cell growth. It also prevents the activation of carcinogens.
Anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins are molecules that inhibit the growth of cells cancer cells and disrupt the development of new blood vessels, thereby limiting the growth of tumors.
- The Tomato
Lycopene, a major contributor to the anticancer properties of tomatoes, acts as a powerful antioxidant. It is important to know that to have a real effect on cancer, tomato consumption must be relatively high and that the presence of garlic and olive oil promotes the absorption of lycopene.
- The citrus
Citrus fruits play an important role in preventing certain cancers such as esophageal, oral, laryngeal, pharyngeal, and stomach cancer. Some evidence suggests that phytochemicals in citrus fruits are successful in blocking tumor growth by acting directly on cancer cells, decreasing their ability to reproduce.
Citrus fruits also have the ability to inhibit the systems that remove anti-cancer molecules from our bodies.
- Chocolate
The polyphenols contained in dark chocolate are the same as those present in green tea: catechins. These prevent the growth of cancer cells.
Be aware that the effect of polyphenols disappears when chocolate is ingested with milk.
You understand the importance of diet in the prevention and treatment of cancer. These do not replace medical treatments, but they can be a good help. Note that any change towards a healthier diet can only be beneficial for your health!