A bowl of colours – fruits and vegetables – is an open secret to stay healthy and energetic. These are yummy, tummy-filling and comforting. And then you see your friends digging deep into burger. ‘Tempting’! You may feel like having bites of it but you resist your craving coz deep in your mind, you know well it harms your health.
The discussion of healthy foods is always pivoted around talks about superfoods. Super foods are super healthy. They keep you in good shape. But are they powerful enough to give your body an enhanced chance of preventing severe diseases, such as cancer? They are touted to be so. But what the oncologists at the best cancer hospital in West Bengal think of it? Truth or Myth – how to label these talks? Let us talk about it?
Super Foods & Anti-Carcinogenic Properties
All fruits and vegetables have a unique nutritional profile. The truth is none of them are loaded with all nutrients that we need to live a long, healthy life. However, some of them are healthier than others and contain a pack of most essential nutrients. These foods can power-pack your meals and promote a healthy eating pattern.
Some super foods contain cancer-fighting agents. However, we never encourage the claim that these foods can prevent occurrence or recurrence of cancer 100 per cent. But certainly cancer-preventive they are to some extent! A meal packed with colourful and nutritious fruits and vegetables is a key to avoid diabetes, cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer as well.
For many years, scientists emphasized more on what not to pile on plate – salty foods, red meat, processed meat, sugary beverages etc. They always knew the TRUTH. In recent times, they have come up with research-backed evidences to explain how anti-carcinogenic properties in some super foods are strongly linked to preventing certain types of cancer.
These foods are powerhouse of energy. They are less in calorie but high on antioxidants and phytochemicals to battle out the cancer-causing agents and thus, benefit people with high cancer risks.
Phytochemicals, Antioxidants and Carcinoma
If you are a health fanatic, it is most unlikely that the word ‘antioxidant’ has not been added to the repertoire of your knowledge. Vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene are the most common types of antioxidant present in many fruits and vegetables. Many studies confirm that eating antioxidants-enriched fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of cancer.
Phytochemicals, a variety of chemicals found in plants, protect healthy cells from harmful compounds present in foods and environment. These also prevent damage and mutations in cells, which are the root cause of cancer formation and progression. A healthy diet that can successfully reduce the risk of cancer is not different from a pack of fruits and vegetables consumed anyway. It means you should have more colours on your plate as well as lean meat and whole fish/meat to ward off the monstrous ‘C’.
What are the foods to load your plate with?
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Strawberry
- Whole Grains
Final Words
According to the physicians providing radiation treatment in West Bengal, weight is a big risk factor for cancer. If needed, iron out some extra kilos. Power-packed super food coupled with regular exercises and a healthy number on the weight machine dramatically reduces your chance of getting cancer. Why not to give it a try?