The Cancer Curse
Unfortunately, getting cancer is almost ‘normal’ in the 21st century. According to the American Cancer Society there will be an estimated 1,658,370 new cancer cases diagnosed and 600,000 cancer deaths in the US this year alone. That’s just under 2,000 people per day!
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, and accounts for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths.
That means that almost everyone has been indirectly impacted by cancer. Whether it is a friend, family member, pet or coworker we all know someone that has been affected by this largely preventable disease.
The Good News – It’s Mostly Preventable
Now for the good news the World Cancer Research Fund has estimated that up to one-third (in my opinion even higher than 1/3) of the cancer cases that occur in economically developed countries like the US are related to lifestyle factors.
Factors such as being overweight or obese, physically inactive, using chemical body care products, not managing stress and eating poorly, and thus can be largely be prevented with a change in lifestyle.
An Army Of Antioxidants
Today I wanna share with you the most amazing foods that are also cancer fighting. Any food that is high in antioxidants can really be considered a cancer fighting food since antioxidants are what neutralize free radicals, which are the rogue cells that can cause cancer in our bodies.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different substances found in food that can act as antioxidants. The most familiar ones are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and other related carotenoids, along with the minerals selenium and manganese. They’re joined by glutathione, co Q10, lipoic acid, flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and many more.
By incorporating more foods rich in antioxidants, being physically active, and actively managing your stress, you’re greatly reducing your chances of becoming a cancer statistic.
The level of antioxidants in a food is evaluated by what’s called the ORAC Score or (oxygen radical absorption capacity) which tests the power of a food to absorb and eliminate free radicals. The measurement of the following foods I am about to share with you were developed by the National Institute of Aging and are based on 100 grams of each food.
Options Based On Antioxidant Levels
Top 10 highest antioxidant foods rated by their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity are:
- Chaga mushrooms
- Goji berries
- Cacao
- Pecans
- Wild blueberries
- Elderberries
- Cranberries
- Artichoke
- Kidney beans
- Blackberries
Bonus Benefits
Some additional benefits of consuming these foods are:
- Slower aging
- Healthy glowing skin
- Detoxification
- Increased longevity
Other antioxidant dense foods to include in your diet are: wild-caught salmon, kale, strawberries, pomegranate, and red wine.
Medicinal Mushrooms
But my personal favorite cancer fighting foods are medicinal mushrooms, and no I’m not talking about the mushrooms you may have experimented with in college or the ones you’ll find at the salad bar.
These mushrooms have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and are still being used to promote healing and health. Some mushrooms that have proven immune-enhancing and cancer fighting effects are:
- Turkey tail
- Maitake
- Chaga
- Reishi
- Agaricus blazei
Many of these awesome mushrooms are being used in alternative cancer treatments in Japan and other developed countries.
In addition to being cancer fighting foods, these mushrooms each have powerful health promoting effects. For example, Chaga, known as the “King of Plants” in China and the “Diamond of the Forest” in Japan, contains many important nutrients, enzymes, vitamins and minerals in addition to boasting the highest ORAC value of any food on the planet. Chaga grows wild on the bark of birch trees and is traditionally used as a health promoting tea.
