Anti-cancer foods

Thanks to major scientific breakthroughs in cancer research, the Achilles’ heel of cancer’s mechanism for promoting inflammation has been identified. This pro-inflammatory factor is Nuclear Factor-kappa B. According to Professor Albert Baldwin, most cancer prevention is aimed at inhibiting NF-kappa-B. As such, the whole pharmaceutical industry is looking for a drug to inhibit or block the inflammatory action of this key substance and prevent the spread of tumours. Another phenomenon that is important for tumour-growth/mortality is “angiogenesis”. In Greek, “angio” means vessels and “genesis” is birth. Blocking angiogenesis enables us to undercut cancer’s spread.
Did you know that molecules known to act against NF-kappa B are freely available in common foods? Many of these molecules also block angiogenesis.

Let’s have a look at a list of common foods that make up the anti-cancer diet:

1. green tea – contains polyphenols called “catechins” or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), EGCG blocks receptors on a cells surface that issue command for the creation of new blood vessels.
2. red wine – “resveratrol” (this is not an endorsement to drink, quantities of >100ml per day seem to lose their protective effect, Professor Riboli of the famous EPIC study thinks this study was poorly designed and conclusions dubious) 
3. garlic – “dialyl sulphide”
4. cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts – cruciferous vegetables contain “indol-3-carbinol”
5. rosemary – “carnosol”
6. raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, hazel nuts and pecans – contain polyphenol called “ellagic acid”. Ellagic acid has been demonstrated to act against 2 most common mechanisms of stimulation of blood vessels: VEGF and PDGF.
7. mushrooms – shiitake, maitake, kawaratake, enokitake contain “lentinan” and other polysaccharides
8. broccoli – “sulphoraphane”
9. turmeric – “curcumin”, a yellow powder used in Indian curries. Also, one of the most potent naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents. In the laboratory it has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and promote cancer cells death or cell “apoptosis”. Indians have less than 20% of colon, breast, lung and kidney cancers compared to Westerners of the same age.  This is true despite high exposure to environmental toxins on a worse scale than in the West.  Could their diet have something to do with the favourable statistics?
10. tomatoes – “lycopene”
11. soy beans – “genistein”, “daidzein” and “glyciteine”.  Researchers wrote that “soy and green tea may be used as potentially effective dietary regimen for inhibiting progression of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer”. Soy phyto-oestrogens act along similar lines as common breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.
12. ginger – “6 -gingerol”
13. cherries – “glucaric acid” which can facilitate elimination of xenoestrogens from environmental chemicals
14. blueberries, cranberries, cinnamon, dark chocolate – “anthocyanidins” and “proanthocyanidins”
15. parsley and celery – “apigenine”
16. rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint – essential oils of the terpene family
17. seaweed – “fucoidan” and “fucoxanthin”
18. salmon, tuna, trout, meckarel, cod, sardine – omega-3s
19. orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit – anti-inflammatory ‘flavinoids’
20. pomegranate – antioxidant
21. yoghurt – ‘probiotics’
22. vitamin D
23. selenium

In conclusion, we can make food our medicine and actively choose foods that defend our bodies against invasion of cancer by:

1. detoxifying carcinogens
2. boosting immune system and increasing natural killer (NK) cell production
3. blocking angiogenesis
4. blocking inflammation
5. promoting cancer cell “apoptosis” or cancer cell suicide

References

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Tags: Anti-cancer Diet, Inflammation