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It’s a known fact that fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy
diet, because they are filled with antioxidants: substances or
nutrients in our foods that can prevent or slow damage to our body.
When our cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals,
by-products which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical
scavengers," preventing and repairing damage. Health problems such as
cancer are caused by oxidative damage. Researchers are busy discovering
the hardest working antioxidants in our foods and how they work. Green
TeaIn the last 15 years, tea has become one of the most studied foods.
Researchers believe tea’s health benefits are due to polyphenols, which
are potent antioxidants. Flavonoids, one type of polyphenol, are the
most effective, and catechins, a type of flavonoid, play a role in
cancer prevention. All types of tea, including decaf, as well as tea
consumed hot or cold, have these substances, but the amounts vary by
type of tea and how strongly a cup is brewed. Another antioxidant in
green tea, EGCG, has been shown to latch onto a protein in tumor cells
and inhibit the cells’ growth. The amount of green tea used in the
study wasn’t even a lot—it was comparable to the amount found in your
body after drinking two cups.
While both green and black tea offer health benefits, green tea packs
more punch. All varieties of tea are derived from the same plant. The
difference is in how the leaves are processed after they are picked.
For black tea, fresh leaves are rolled and then allowed to wither
indoors, which causes most of the active substances to oxidize. For
green tea, the leaves are steamed to preserve the natural active
substances, thereby yielding more antioxidants. In fact, based on
invitro studies, the flavonoids in a cup of green tea have a greater
antioxidant effect than single servings of broccoli, carrots, apples,
or grapes.
Green tea is also a more healthful beverage than coffee or alcohol.
Fresh brewed green tea is all-natural, and contains no fat, calories,
alcohol, or sugar (if left unsweetened and without milk.) A cup of
green tea has about half the caffeine found in a cup of coffee.
Citrus FruitsEating just one orange per day will cut your chances of
certain types of cancer in half. Oranges contain over 170 antioxidants,
and sixty of them are flavonoids. Citrus fruits also strengthen the
immune system, which inhibits tumor growth and normalizes tumor cells.
TomatoesTomatoes are colored by lycopene, which has been shown to be
particularly helpful in lowering men’s chances of prostate cancer. In
fact, researchers have recommended lycopene supplementation be used as
an adjunct to standard prostate cancer treatment, alongside surgery,
chemotherapy, and radiation. Lycopene has also been shown to limit the
DNA damage that may precede prostate cancer in African-American men.
If you want the most anti-cancer benefits from tomatoes, cook them.
Heat processing actually increases the amount of lycopene that can be
absorbed by the body, as well as increasing its antioxidant activity.
Other Fruits and VegetablesAmericans who do eat enough fruits and
vegetables tend not to go for much variety. Iceberg lettuce, corn,
apples, potatoes, and bananas don’t carry much cancer-fighting punch.
In order to capture health benefits and reduce disease risk, we must
eat more variety. Cauliflower, dark lettuces (i.e. romaine or red
leaf), spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, squash, sweet
potatoes, cantaloupe, red peppers, and strawberries are all high in
antioxidants and have been shown to have disease-prevention properties.
SeleniumThe mineral selenium has been found to slow esophageal, skin,
rectal, and prostate cancer. Scientists studying blood levels of
selenium found that people with less selenium were up to three times
more likely to have precancerous growths than those with more selenium.
They believe that selenium inhibits the growth of abnormal cells,
preventing genetic damage and helping the body kill off cells that
might otherwise become tumors. Foods with selenium include tuna,
oysters, shrimp, salmon, Brazil nuts, liver, pork, and turkey.
Less Meat, Dairy, and AlcoholScientists have found that premenopausal
women who ate the most fatty red meat and milk had a 54% higher chance
of developing invasive breast cancer than those who ate less meat. The
researchers believe that eating more saturated fat from meat increases
hormone levels that boost the chances of breast cancer.
A 2003 study also showed that post-menopausal women who averaged two
alcoholic drinks per day raised their risk of breast cancer by 80%.
Again, the researchers believe that alcohol affects the levels of
hormones that influence cancer.
References: Menendez, Mary. "Eat to Live" Energy Times, May 2004. Milling, Marla Hardee. "Green Light for Green Tea" Aurora Healthcare Your Health Newsletter, Nov 2004. "Tea’s Ties to Better Health" HealthNews, Oct 2001. Zangwill, Monica, MD, MPH. "Reducing Your Risk of Prostate Cancer" Aurora Healthcare Your Health Newsletter, Nov 2004.
Dr. Heller is a chiropractor and certified strength and conditioning
specialist (CSCS), practicing in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She has
extensive experience teaching fitness classes, including aquatics, to
all age groups and abilities. |
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