Taking control of your health by eating a nutritious diet is one of the best ways to help protect against many deadly diseases, including cancer. That’s because lots of healthy foods have anti-carcinogenic properties—and luckily, many cancer-fighting foods are actually quite tasty.
By adding these types of foods to your diet, you’re taking important steps toward better health. But just remember that these treats should be consumed in moderation, and are just one part of eating a healthy diet.
Without further ado, here are three of the best cancer-fighting super treats:
Coffee
For many years, the reported health benefits of coffee had been mixed—in fact, back in 1991 the World Health Organization classified coffee as “possibly carcinogenic.” But just last year, the World Health Organization reversed their opinion, and concluded that coffee actually helps protect the body against both uterine and liver cancers.
They also concluded that there’s insufficient evidence showing coffee causes any type of cancer, and that coffee might be useful in fighting other forms of cancer, too. Drinking three to five cups a day is more than enough to experience the health benefits—so go ahead, have another cup of joe.
Chocolate
You might think of chocolate as an unhealthy treat, but dark chocolate in particular has several health benefits—including powerful anti-cancer properties. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals, which are unstable molecules in the body that can cause cancer. The antioxidants in dark chocolate are called flavonoids, and while they aren’t yet proven to fight existing cancer, they can definitely help strengthen the body’s defenses against it.
Be sure to choose dark chocolate that is relatively low in sugar and high in cocoa (and also make sure you’re paying attention to calories). And stay away from milk chocolate because it contains far fewer flavonoids than its dark chocolate counterpart.
Raspberries
As one of the best anti-cancer foods, raspberries should be part of any healthy diet. They are rich in ellagic acid, which is a strong antioxidant with many cancer-fighting properties—and it may even help shrink existing tumors. Ellagic acid has been proven to be effective against many types of cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, and skin cancer. And the health benefits of ellagic acid go beyond fighting cancer, as it may have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, too. Also, don’t forget to check out black raspberries as well: they have at least as many anti-cancer properties as their redder cousins.
By making a few key dietary changes, you can greatly reduce your cancer risk while getting on a path toward better health. And don’t stop with these three anti-cancer food suggestions: There are lots of other great cancer-fighting foods out there that can provide an important nutritional boost to your diet.
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