The following foods could reduce the risk of cancer, according to experts

“Although there is consensus that no single food can prevent cancer on its own, maintaining a healthy diet appears to reduce the risk of contracting it.

On average, more than one in three people in the United States will develop some form of cancer at some point in their lives, according to the American Cancer Society. And many of those cases, they argue, can be prevented by modifying the diet, among other things.

Scientists have a good idea of the foods to avoid to reduce the risk of cancer, such as red and processed meats, “fast” or processed foods, alcohol, and sugary beverages. However, Johanna Lampe, a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, stated that it’s not always easy to know what to eat.

Many nutrition studies rely on people accurately remembering what they ate up to a year ago, Lampe commented. Additionally, it’s challenging to understand how foods can influence health when they are part of a broader diet, along with lifestyle, environment, hormones, and genetics, all of which are closely related to diseases.

Nigel Brockton, Vice President of Research at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington D.C., states that no single food can prevent cancer on its own, but maintaining a healthy diet seems to reduce the risk of contracting it.

Here are some foods that experts suggest adding to your plate.

1. **Broccoli and Cruciferous Vegetables:**
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage are rich sources of isothiocyanates, plant compounds that help our cells eliminate toxins and repair, crucial for cancer prevention, according to Lampe. For example, broccoli sprouts are rich in sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate linked to protection against various cancers, such as prostate, breast, bladder, and colorectal.

2. **Tomatoes and Tomato-based Products:**
Tomatoes have long been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer due to their abundant lycopene content, a powerful antioxidant giving tomatoes their red color. Processing tomatoes, such as cutting or cooking them, helps us absorb lycopene more easily than when eaten raw. Consuming tomatoes with fat also aids in absorption, so cooking them, for example, in sauce or with a healthy fat like olive oil, can enhance their health benefits.

3. **Beans and Legumes:**
Common beans like black and red beans, as well as legumes like chickpeas, dried peas, and lentils, are not only high in protein but also excellent sources of fiber, crucial for intestinal and immune health, says Brockton. Fiber is also linked to colorectal cancer prevention, as gut bacteria break down fiber into fuel for colon lining cells, keeping them healthy and less likely to turn into cancer cells.

4. **Nuts, Especially Walnuts:**
There are three varieties of nuts rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber, and studies have found that those who consume them often tend to have a lower risk of various digestive system cancers. Walnuts, in particular, contain exceptionally high levels of compounds called ellagitannins, converted by intestinal bacteria into metabolites that can reduce the cancer’s ability to grow and multiply.

5. **Berries:**
Berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and pomegranates are packed with antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, which help protect cells from stress and DNA damage that increases the risk of cancer. The plant compounds called anthocyanins give berries their colorful and anti-inflammatory power. Consuming between half a cup and a cup of fresh or frozen (preferably organic) berries per day is recommended for maximum anti-inflammatory benefits.

6. **Garlic:**
This pungent allium contains high levels of allicin, a sulfur compound responsible for garlic’s strong odor and its ability to fight cancer. In a long-term study involving over 3,000 people in a region of China known for high stomach cancer rates, researchers found that for every 1.5 kilograms of garlic participants consumed annually, they had a 17 percent lower risk of developing the disease.

While stomach cancer is decreasing in the United States, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Other studies, mostly not conducted in humans, have hinted at possible links between garlic consumption and a reduced risk of other types of cancer, especially colorectal.

Consuming raw garlic—pressed in oil for salad dressing or in guacamole, for example—will help “keep the flavors and chemicals inside alive,” according to Wen-Qing Li, a cancer researcher at the Beijing University Cancer Hospital and one of the study’s authors.”