If black raspberries aren't currently part of your diet, consider adding them. Black raspberries contain a great amount of anthocyanins which are immunity-boosting antioxidants. They also contain ellagic acid which is both antiviral and antibacterial. Ellagic acid also works to detoxify the body. These berries are thought to be cancer fighters. Eat these tasty berries several times a week to reap the benefits.
This is the next to last post in this series on letting food be your medicine. Number 10 is one that is either loved or hated by most people. It seems there are few people don't have strong feelings about mushrooms one way or the other. However, shiitake mushrooms are very healthy and should be eaten by most people on a regular, perhaps weekly, basis. In human studies, shiitakes have been shown to be anti-cancer, cholesterol-lowering, and immune boosting. If these healthy mushrooms aren't part of your diet, perhaps they should be.
As we continue looking at the healthiest fruits list, we come to number seven, grapefruits. For most people, you either love or hate grapefruits. However you feel about them, read the information below which is directly from the healthiest fruits list from a health journal I picked up in my oncologist office.
"Adding a cup of grapefruit segments to your breakfast will cover nearly 100 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin C, and support the health of your skin, heart, and immune system. Grapefruits are also rich in flavonoids such as naringin and naringenin, which may have anticancer properties."
Many doctors recommend an 81 mg aspirin a day to their patients for heart health. I was surprised by research a few years ago that found adults age 50 to 65 who took approximately 75 mg of aspirin a day for 10 years may significantly reduce their risk of developing and dying of the following cancers - stomach, colon, and esophageal. The study found it took 3 years for the benefit to kick in and at least 5 years for the death rates to fall.
Your mother was right; eat your vegetables. That is especially true for green vegetables. While all the green vegetables are good for you, broccoli is one you should eat regularly whether you like it or not! Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C. It is a good source of vitamin A and folate. It is a significant source of protein, calcium, iron, and other minerals. Broccoli is also rich in bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals that protect against cancer. In fact, while other cruciferous vegetables are protective, broccoli seems to have more cancer-fighting compounds than the others. Some of these compounds block the action of hormones that stimulate tumors; others work by inhibiting tumor growth or by boosting the action of protective enzymes. The bioflavonoids and other antioxidants found in broccoli are substances that protect against mutation and damage from unstable molecules.
According to a pathologist at the Medical College of Ohio, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and to a lesser degree blueberries, cranberries, grapes, apples, Brazil nuts, walnuts, and cashews all contain the anticancer compound ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is an antioxidant that helps detoxify cancer-causing agents in several different ways. It may block the activation of carcinogens, inhibit the carcinogen itself, or keep the DNA in cells from undergoing mutation.
Research by doctors at the United States Department of Agriculture has shown that cancer-fighting vegetables have shown their true color - dark green! Dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, green beans, spinach are some of the best. Analysis found that kale, has the highest concentrations of three important carotenoids, important in protecting us from most cancers. When they boiled, steamed, and microwaved broccoli, green beans, or spinach the protective carotenoids did not diminish! Dr. Frederick Khachik stated, "It's unlikely heat destroys the carotenoids in other green vegetables either."
