Foods That Fight Cancer!

Picture by George Bernard Shaw

We always hear of the healthy foods that fight cancer such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and herbal teas but what about those foods specialists claim our bad for us? Some recent studies have proven that some foods, even our guilty pleasures, play a role in preventing different types of cancer.

Do you also wake up in the early hours of the morning craving a cup of coffee to start up your day but have avoided it because you have heard coffee and caffeine is bad for you? Don’t! In moderation that cup of coffee you crave can help prevent you from forming skin cancer. I have read recently that people who drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day are less likely to have basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common type of skin cancer. This information greatly brightened up my mornings as well as my health.

Picture compliments of Imagechef.com by Kate Subtle

A second surprising cancer preventer is alcohol. A seven letter word we all love but hate to admit it. Don’t be ashamed anymore because in moderation red wine is believed to reduce your risk of breast cancer. Red wine also plays a strong role in reducing the effects of radiation for those who are undergoing radiation therapy for cancer and at the same time can protect the healthy cells. However, drinking more than two alcoholic drinks per day may increase the risk of breast cancer so moderation is the key!

Lastly, the third preventer was my favorite of the three. As a Chocolate addict I wasn't surprised at the growing evidence that it is a mood enhancer but I was stunned and extremely excited when I heard it is also a cancer preventative. Chocolate is a huge antioxidant, which slows down the oxidization of cells and therefore prevents the production of radicals that damage cells and can cause cancer and heart disease. Do people really need more encouragement to eat chocolate? Probably not but at least now we know when we’re eating a little bit we can be helping our bodies at the same time!



Picture by Elaina Franks