World Cancer Day 2019: Consume and avoid these 5 food items to stay away from cancer

World Cancer Day 2019: February 4 is World Cancer Day. This day organizations and people around the world unite to raise awareness about cancer and work to make it a global health priority.

Diets high in non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and beans, may help protect against stomach and esophageal cancer. Eating oranges, berries, peas, bell peppers, dark leafy greens and other foods high in vitamin C may also protect against esophageal cancer.

5 Food items to consume to avoid cancer:

1. Green leafy vegetables:

Green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are a great source of energy which also strengthens our cells in the body.

2. Apples and Oranges:

Fruit like apples and oranges help in disease fighting. Apples are rich in iron whereas oranges are full of Vitamin C.

3. Beans and berries:

Different beans and berries like blueberries are rich in antioxidants too. These prevent damage cells to cause cancer.

4. Green tea:

Green tea has been linked to a number of health benefits. Green tea can help improve fat metabolism and reduce body weight.

5. Ginger and garlic:

Ginger and garlic have anti-bacterial properties that prevent infections and many diseases including cancer.

Avoid these 5 food items to stay away from cancer

1. Processed & smoked meats:

Processed meats including ham, bacon, sausages and salami can increase the risk of bowel, stomach and pancreatic cancer.

2. Highly salted foods:

Regular consumption of highly salted foods like cured meats, salted fish etc can lead to stomach cancer.

3. Microwavable popcorn:

The bag of microwavable popcorns is lined with perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) which is a likely carcinogen.

4. Sodas:

Hidden sugar present in sodas leads to spikes in serum insulin and also feeds cancer cells.

5. Packaged foods containing hidden sugars:

All sources of hidden sugars like bakeries, confectionaries, biscuits, ready to eat breakfast cereals, energy bars and so-called health drinks etc should be avoided.

 

Substances that induce free radical damage and promote cancerous cells are called carcinogens. Carcinogens can be different agents like:

• Physical carcinogens (ultraviolet and ionizing radiations)
• Biological carcinogens (certain bacteria, viruses and parasites)
• Chemical carcinogens (synthetic products created by industry, components of smoke, pesticide residues, chemicals used in the food industry etc).

The estimated number of deaths due to cancer in 2018 was 9.5 million, which amounts to a whopping 26,000 deaths a day. This number is expected to increase as environmental stresses increase, air quality worsens, lifestyles and eating habits too.