Have you heard the study results that you can gain disease-prevention from eating certain foods? Soy is claimed to play a preventive role in cardiac disease. Eating oats reduces cholesterol, therefore lowering the incidence of heart attack. A plant-based diet, especially citrus fruits, broccoli and tomatoes, reduces the risk of chronic disease, particularly cancer. Are there really foods that you can consume that will help to prevent cancer and other diseases?
The answer is “yes.” Called functional foods, they contain benefits to your health in addition to their nutritional value and Japan has recognized over 100 which bear a regulatory agency’s seal of approval, with other countries conducting similar testing.
Health professionals are gradually recognizing that a plant-based diet contains phytochemicals that can reduce cancer risk, heart and other diseases, and research is ongoing into other types of foods as well.
Green tea is rich in a powerful antioxidant called catechin polyphenols, which inhibits the growth of cancer cells, and kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibits the formation of blood clots, which are the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. Other health conditions which are helped by green tea include rheumatoid arthritis and infections, and it has been claimed to impair a balky immune system as well. While green, oolong, and black teas all come from the same plant, green tea is harvested by a steaming process which retains its health-giving values, whereas the good compounds are lost in the fermenting processing of other teas. More information can be found at
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm.
Preventing
heart disease can be helped by eating lots of fibre, fruits and vegetables as they contain antioxidants which include vitamins A, C and E, and some minerals such as copper, zinc and selenium. Including olive oil and garlic has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels, as can adding Omega 3 to your diet through eating fish. Eating organically can ensure the value has not been processed out, which is what happens to much of the food on grocery store shelves. Eating nuts, particularly walnuts, which contain the antioxidant vitamin E, plant fibre, and other valuable acids, has been shown to be beneficial as well.
With an estimated one-third of all cancer deaths suspected of being diet related, it is a good idea to be aware of the many of the common foods containing cancer-fighting properties. These include antioxidants and the phytochemicals that scientists are just beginning to explore as those that help to inhibit cancer cell growth or reduce tumour size. There isn't a single element in a particular food that does all the work, rather it’s eating a variety of cancer-fighting foods that is wise. Avocados, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chilli peppers, figs, flax, garlic and cauliflower are just a few of the foods listed at
http://www.cancure.org/cancer_fighting_foods.htm and the properties that make each food a cancer-fighter are explored as well.
In the
kitchen, try to eat your foods as close to their whole state as possible. The skin of an apple, when tested on human colon cancer cells in a Cornel University study, was found to inhibit the growth of the cells by 43 percent. Likewise the outer skin on carrots retains numerous cancer-fighting compounds. Sprinkle ground flax seed on cereals and salads, and incorporate plenty of garlic in your entrees. Serve blueberries and raspberries often for desserts or snacks. Use grains such as brown rice, oats, rye and barley as often as you can.
It will take a while to incorporate these life-saving foods into your diet but start today by adding a few to your grocery list and look for opportunities to add them to your menus.
