Foods and Diet to Help Fight and Treat Cancer Naturally

Nov 25, 2010
Tamara Laschinsky

Healthy foods can help to fight cancer - dumbonyc with permission

We've all heard the Mother Nature provides all we need; she does provide a variety of foods for our diet that can help fight and treat cancer naturally.

Scientists are not fully informed as to what causes cancer or how it can best be prevented. It is known that cancer cells are gene mutations caused by various reasons. You can be born with gene mutations and be predisposed to cancer, but only when you acquire other gene mutations through life will the cancer begin to form.

There are various ways to treat cancer depending on the type of cancer. Growing more in popularity are natural remedies and treatments to help fight cancer. These remedies can be used as a sole treatment option or in combination with traditional treatments. Food and diet changes are a common form of natural medicine to help prevent and treat cancer.

Foods to Help Fight and Cure Cancer

A healthy body, full of the nutrients it needs, will have the potential to heal itself and stay healthy. The Cancer Cure Foundation indicates that the following foods have the ability to help fight cancer and some have even shown to be able to reduce tumor size:

avocados: antioxidant, potassium, beta-carotene
broccoli and broccoli sprouts: indole-3-carbinol (combats breast cancer), sulforaphane (prevents cancer)
cabbage: same as broccoli
cauliflower: same as broccoli
carrots: beta-carotene to reduce cancer (in excess of 2 kilos a day can be harmful), eat raw, not cooked
chili peppers and jalapeños: capsaicin (neutralizes nitrosamines)
cruciferous vegetables like kale and Brussels sprouts: antioxidants
figs: deriviative of benzaldehyde (said to shrink tumors), bacteria killer
flax: lignans (antioxidants), omega-3 fatty acids (protect from cancer)
garlic: immune system booster, antibacterial
grapefruits: monoterpenes (sweep cancer cells out of body), inhibits breast cancer in vitro
red grapes: bioflavonoids (antioxidants), reservatrol (inhibit cancer growth)
green and yellow leafy vegetables: shows lower levels of stomach cancer
mushrooms: polysaccharides (build immunity), lectin (attacks cancer cells and stops multiplication)
nuts: quercetine and campferol (antioxidants), selenium (good for prostate cancer)
oranges and lemons: limonene (stimulates cancer-killing cells and breaks down cancer-causing substances)
papayas: vitamin C (antioxidant and reduces absorption of harmful substances), folacin (folic acid: minimizes certain cancers)
raspberries: studies have shown decrease in cancers when black raspberries consumed.
red wine: polyphenols (protect against cancer), alcohol may be class A carcinogen – studies are mixed right now. Choose non-alcoholic wines.

Diet to Help Fight Cancer: Acidic and Alkaline Body pH

Our body has an internal scale, called pH levels, measuring the amount of acid in it. When the body operates at a constantly higher acidic level, the body is prime to contract illnesses and diseases. Western diets contain a high percentage of acidic foods, so it’s no surprise that most people in the Western hemisphere have acidic body pHs.

7.0 is the neutral point for a body pH; it is neither acidic or alkaline. The body always works to keep itself slightly alkaline for optimal health, though it may have to work harder depending on the foods you eat, or don’t eat.

How an Alkaline Body pH Can Help Fight Cancer

Since the body is made up primarily of water, you can relate to the example of a healthy fish tank. If the fish tank water is at a balanced pH, the occupants thrive and are healthy. If the fish tank water is below a pH of 7.0, the occupants will begin to get unwell, bacteria will grow and conditions will worsen. This example is similar to your body; if the pH level stays on the acidic side for too long, the conditions are good for disease and poor health and your body will slowly begin to die.

If the occupants of the fish tank are looking unhealthy, it makes more sense to fix the water problem, than to pick out the fish and try to give them medical care. The problem is not with the fish, it is with the water and the pH levels. Likewise, by keeping your body at a slightly alkaline level, you are creating a strong internal system that will readily fight off disease and provide optimal health.

Lowering your intake of acidic foods to make up, at most, 40% of your daily intake and increasing alkaline foods to 60% of your daily intake, will help your body reach a healthy pH balance and enable it to fight off diseases, like cancer, more readily.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.