Foods that prevent cancer

The 2007 Expert Report by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that the food we eat and other lifestyle choices such as daily physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight are key to preventing cancer. This epic report - which was five years in the making and reviewed 7,000 large-scale studies - found that an unhealthy diet is linked to about one third of all cancer cases.

In fact, according to U.S.-based The National Cancer Institute (NCI), serious diseases that are linked to what we eat kill an estimated three out of four Americans each year. These diseases include heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

But while the foods you eat can hurt you, they can also help you. And not surprisingly, fruits and vegetables are "All-Star foods" when it comes to protecting yourself against cancer.

Foods you gotta love
Research shows that diets most protective against cancer are predominately plant-based. Here are just a few ways food can help in the battle against cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale) contain two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin that may help decrease prostate and other cancers.

Foods that contain folate such as liver, spinach, beans, broccoli, oranges, lettuce, avocado, and asparagus are thought to help protect against cancer of the pancreas. Avocados are also rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body. They also provide even more potassium than bananas.