Epigallocatechin gallates (EGCGs) from green tea were one of the first dietary components identified as protective against angiogenesis, the process by which cancer cells develop blood vessels in order to grow and spread. Today researchers have found many more compounds that affect angiogenesis.
Exactly how do foods impact our ability to fight cancer? We started talking about that in Part I of The Basics. I owe you a better explanation. Continue reading
We all have cancer cells dormant inside our bodies; the key is to keep them from growing and spreading.
Picture your lawn in the springtime—at the beginning, a few precocious dandelions, then an army of weeds invades your space. We slay them with herbicides, we patiently dig out their roots, yet they continue to multiply.
But what if we changed the soil they grow in? What if we made that soil inhospitable to uncontrolled growth and spread? Continue reading
Sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring are all good sources of healthy omega 3 fats—small fish that feed low on the food chain, hence less susceptible to accumulating pollutants. But whoa! Continue reading
What to do–and NOT to do– with this bounty of kale?
November 2013 update: Please read the groundbreaking news about crucifers!
Cruciferous veggies may seem tough on the outside, but as we talked about in the first post on these anti-cancer wonders, they’re highly sensitive to boot. If you don’t handle them properly, their magic powers could literally evaporate.
University of Warwick scientist Dr. Paul Thornalley explains: Crucifers contain compounds called glucosinolates that, when mixed with an enzyme (myrosinase), get converted to another compound (isothiocyanates )with high cancer prevention activity. Talk about a mouthful… Continue reading
Beans are not just good for your heart, as the saying goes. Their high-fiber content helps control your blood sugar and moves foods through your gut, binding carcinogens on the way. That makes them good for preventing other chronic conditions, including diabetes and cancer.
Montreal’s Jittery Cook/blogger Holly Botner has a great recipe for Greek lima beans, inspired by the wealth of great Greek restaurants in Montreal. I like to add some oregano for extra flavor as well as its cancer-fighting properties. Continue reading
Dahl soup with mung beans
Taking CT scans or radiation treatments? Confused about what to eat in the wake of Japan’s quake?
● For starters, try miso soup, prescribed by Japanese doctors for radiation poisoning after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Miso is made by fermenting barley, soybeans and/or brown rice with salt and a fungus loaded with enzymes and probiotics. According to Japanese researchers, it helps protect the body from absorbing radiation. Continue reading
A tasty dinner, in 20 minutes …
Forget the pasta. It’s loaded with carbs, which wreak havoc with your blood sugar–and you probably know by now that sugar metabolism has been linked to cancer growth. Here, broccoli flowers stand in for pasta and give you cancer-fighting nutrients to boot. Continue reading
Turmeric concoction with chickpeas
Turmeric, the yellow spice that gives curry its bright color and peppery flavor, has been revered in India and China for thousands of years for its wide range of medicinal properties.
Its active ingredient, curcumin, is arguably nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatory and has shown great promise in many studies as an anti-cancer agent —reducing tumor growth and metastases, helping stimulate cancer cells to commit suicide and enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Continue reading
Broccoli and particularly its powerful baby sprouts are among the reigning monarchs in the crucifer family
November 2013 update: Please read the groundbreaking news about crucifers!
Along with vegetables from the Allium family, cruciferous ones TOP the list of foods that fight cancer: Broccoli sprouts and broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, mustard greens, arugula, watercress, rutabaga and radishes.
The reason:
Meet the Allium family: garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, shallots and chives.
When it comes to cancer, they’re incendiary–packed with sulphur containing molecules that ward off disease. And no wonder they’re so powerful. They originated in central Asia north of Afghanistan—as pests go, a tough neck of the woods.
The ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks all cherished Alliums for their medicinal value, and in the mid 1800s Louis Pasteur proved them right. He showed that garlic fights bacteria. Continue reading
Who are among the world’s top experts on nutrition and cancer?
With all the blather out there in the information universe, we all know that you’re only as good as your sources. As a journalist, I’ll tap into the world’s foremost experts on cancer and nutrition, digest their thoughts and then deliver their advice atop platters of inviting recipes. I’ll tell you where the experts differ in opinion—some say no alcohol; others tout red wine, for example (Don’t believe them)– and declare my philosophical bias at the outset: If you’re fighting cancer, follow the opinion that’s the least risky. Continue reading
Eat and Beat Cancer 