Guide To Amazing Cancer-Fighting Foods

Raspberries

Raspberries are known to help the body with fighting off precancerous and cancerous cells to prevent the development of malignancy. Black raspberries have a high content of a compound called ellagic acid, which is a natural relative to a drug called Tamoxifen, which is used in the treatment of some breast cancers. The vitamins, phenols, minerals, and phytosterols contained in black raspberries are known to inhibit the action of and reverse the effects of certain carcinogens in the body. In addition, black raspberries can halt or alter the expression of a wide range of genes implicated in the development processes of some forms of cancer. Genes affected by the actions of the compounds in black raspberries include those that involve cell movement, attachment, apoptosis, proliferation, and the formation of new blood vessels to feed growing tumors. Individuals affected by precancerous lesions that evolve into esophageal cancers and oral cancers have proven to reap benefit from the compounds in black raspberries.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular fruit used in countless foods in the United States. The red color of tomatoes comes from a phytochemical component referred to as lycopene. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant that has its greatest concentration in tomatoes. Any type of antioxidant is helpful in the prevention of cancer because they reduce the occurrence of oxidative stress in the body that can produce cellular DNA damage that leads to carcinogenesis. Lycopene has an additional property where it can interfere with the growth of cells that have abnormal DNA, which helps stop the growth of any malignancy. Lycopene has shown in studies to reduce the chance of developing cancer in the prostate gland, breast, endometrium, and lungs. Lycopene has shown to benefit postmenopausal women at risk for breast cancer specifically, by modifying the number of adipokine hormones in the body. Adipokine hormones increase an individual's likelihood of developing cancer because they induce inflammation in the body tissues. It should be noted that lycopene is more available to an individual's body when they consume processed tomatoes rather than raw tomatoes.