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There are many fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants, which combat cancer cells in your body and reduce the risk of breast cancer. Apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races. It has a lifetime risk of 1 in 26 in South Africa, according to the 2022 National Cancer Registry (NCR).

Foods such as leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, fatty fish, and beans are all made up of compounds. Compounds that exhibit qualities that reduce the risk of breast cancer. We will list specific foods from the categories above that have been proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer. While referencing both completed research and ongoing research.

Vegetables That Fight Cancer:

Leafy green vegetables such as kale, arugula, spinach, mustard greens, and chard contain carotenoid antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants have been researched and have concluded that they are linked to an 18–28% reduced risk of breast cancer. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli contain glucosinolate compounds. These help your body to convert the nutrients into molecules called isothiocyanates that combat cancer cells.

Fruits That Prevent Cancer:

Citrus fruits and their peels are filled with all the good compounds that may protect against breast cancer. These include folate, vitamin C, beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene, flavonoid antioxidants, hesperetin, and naringenin. These are all antioxidants, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects, ultimately reducing breast cancer risk by 10%. Fruits and berries protect against cellular damage and the development and spread of cancer cells. In 2013 it was discovered that women who consumed at least two servings of peaches each week had up to a 41% reduced risk of developing estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.

The Good Protein:

Protein is a challenging topic to link to reducing the risk of any cancer due to the amount of processed meats in the everyday store, however, there are proteins that have contributed to reducing the risk of breast cancer. Fatty fish, including salmon, sardines, and mackerel, are known for their impressive health benefits such as omega-3, selenium and antioxidants. Researchers found that those with the highest intake of seafood sources of omega-3s had up to a 14% reduced risk of breast cancer. Beans are loaded with fibre, vitamins, and minerals that were found to reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 20%.

Intaking your antioxidants:

Not everyone has time to manage their antioxidant intake or manage their eating habits at all. We have the solution; The DNA Slow Juicer for your leafy greens and the DNA Cold Flow Juicer. These appliances are capable of quick, high-nutrient-packed juice for you to consume from the comfort of your own home. Just simply pack your prepared ingredients of choice into the hopper and relax while it does all the work. Unsure about recipes for juicing? We have a blog post dedicated to different recipes for cancer prevention.

Closing food for thought:

Following a nutritious diet rich in foods like leafy greens, citrus fruits, and fatty fish may help reduce breast cancer risk. It may be equally important to limit or avoid items like alcohol, highly processed meats, and sugary foods and beverages.

Keep in mind that regular medical appointments and breast cancer screenings are critical for early detection and diagnosis. Early detection can lead to effective treatment and a positive prognosis. When breast cancer is detected at an early stage, about 90% of patients survive for many years after diagnosis.

References:

Aghajanpour, M. et al. (2017) Functional Foods and their role in Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion: A Comprehensive Review, American journal of cancer research.

Breast cancer – cansa – the cancer association of south africa (2024) CANSA.

Eliassen, A.H. et al. (2015) Plasma carotenoids and risk of breast cancer over 20 Y of follow-up, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

Fung, T.T. et al. (2013) Intake of specific fruits and vegetables in relation to risk of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer among postmenopausal women, Breast cancer research and treatment.

Lv, X. et al. (2015) Citrus fruits as a treasure trove of active natural metabolites that potentially provide benefits for human health – BMC chemistry, BioMed Central.

Nindrea, R.D. et al. (2019) Protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids in fish consumption against breast cancer in Asian patients: A meta-analysis, Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP.

Sangaramoorthy, M., Koo, J. and John, E.M. (2018) Intake of bean fiber, beans, and grains and reduced risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer: the San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study.

Sherriff, S. (2024) #breastcancerawarenessmonth: Early detection is the cornerstone of combatting breast cancer, News Archive Item More.

Song, J.-K. and Bae, J.-M. (2013) Citrus fruit intake and breast cancer risk: A quantitative systematic review, https://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2013.16.1.72.

Soundararajan, P. and Kim, J.S. (2018) Anti-carcinogenic glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables and their antagonistic effects on prevention of cancers, MDPI.

Zheng, J.-S. et al. (2013) Intake of fish and marine N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of breast cancer: Meta-analysis of data from 21 independent prospective cohort studies, The BMJ.