Thousands of plant nutrients in fruits and vegetables interact in humans in a variety of different ways to protect our health. Here are just a few tasty foods and what they may do for us.
| Food | Cancer-fighting Ingredients |
| Artichokes | Folate for healthy cell division reduces mutations that may lead to cancer. |
| Brussels sprouts | Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) may help inhibit breast and prostate cancer. |
| Cranberries | Ellagic acid, which inhibits cancerous cell mutations, and anthocyanins, which fight cancer-causing agents. |
| Lentils | Isoflavones that help inhibit cancer growth. |
| Peas | Flavonoids that help protect DNA from damage and plant estrogens that discourage the growth of certain tumors. |
selected sources Eat to Fight Cancer by the editors of Healing Gourmet ($16.95, McGraw-Hill, 2006) "Lean! Green! & Mean!" by Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11/1/05
 | Cutting fat, particularly saturated fats, from your diet along with increasing your intake of fiber, fruits and vegetables is believed to support the body's natural defense mechanisms and reduce the risk of developing cancer. |
 | While no one diet plan has been determined to be unfailingly effective, several discoveries have been made, leading to a somewhat loosely defined breast cancer diet. |
Are you not a fan of broccoli? You can still derive some of broccoli's protective benefits through a dietary supplement and tea called sulforaphane glucosinolate, or SGS. |
Each year, millions of people are diagnosed with some form of cancer. Among those diagnosed, a large percentage of cancer patients die within the first five years. Although some types of cancers are linked to genetics, other types of cancers appear as random illnesses that strike without warning and quickly claim the lives of its victim. |
Even among highly schooled experts, there is little consensus on how best to treat most forms of cancer. But most can agree on this: Prevention is best. |
