Cancer is one of the most feared diseases, and there are so many different forms that it can feel overwhelming to try to prevent them all.
If you’ve already been diagnosed as having cancer, it becomes crucial to make sure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs to help battle it back and support the body during treatment.
Cancer, a complex group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, is influenced by various factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and diet.
While no single food can prevent or cure cancer, research shows that certain foods and drinks contain powerful compounds that can help reduce cancer risk by boosting immunity, protecting cells from damage, and inhibiting tumor growth.
Incorporating these cancer fighting foods and drinks into your diet can support overall health and complement medical treatments.
37 Cancer Fighting Foods For Prevention & Recovery
1. Red Wine
There is a chemical specifically in red wine that shows promise for being a cancer fighter. It’s called resveratrol and you may have heard of it, as it has been popping up not just in red wine, but on supplement claiming to contain it.
For years doctors have been recommending a glass of red wine per day for heart health. Only recently has it been discovered that there may be anti-cancer benefits.
Many pills out there claim to have far more resveratrol in them than red wine has, but be sure to check the facts first.
2. Green Tea
Green tea is full of antioxidants, more so than other teas because it doesn’t undergo as much processing, leaving all of these important cancer fighting minerals intact.
It’s worth the time and effort to incorporate this into your diet because it doesn’t just help prevent certain cancers from forming, it can help battle them back if you’ve already got them.
The good news is that it’s not just one or two studies that have confirmed this, and it has also withstood the test of time and been verified on repeated tests.
It’s a bonafide ally against cancer and also provides plenty of additional benefits.
3. Ginger
You’ll never look at this simple root the same way again once you hear how it’s able to help you on your quest to stay battle back cancer. It actually gets cancer cells to kill themselves.
Pretty powerful, huh? It also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s working to help with cancer in two distinct ways. Scientists are even hopeful that it can help with some of the harder-to fight cancers as well.
The other great feature is that it can add some delicious flavor to a meal, so it’s not very hard to start getting more of it.
4. Turmeric
This super spice even gets props from the American Cancer Society for its antioxidant value. They do state that it’s too early to tell if research being conducted on it proves that these antioxidants provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
But time and time again it seems that ages old wisdom gets proven right, and this is a spice that has been used for hundreds of years for its healing benefits.
With all that we know about antioxidants and the way they help prevent and also assist in eradicating cancer, it’s easy enough to start using it now.
5. Beans
It seems that you can’t go wrong when choosing your beans. Whether they’re white beans which Dr. Oz recommends, or navy or black beans, the research shows that they’re able to provide plenty of fiber and fatty acids that help provide protection against cancer growth, before it starts or helping to prevent its spread.
You don’t have to go all out and start eating beans at every meal in order to reap the benefits. You simply start adding roughly half a cup just a couple of times a week and you’ll be covered.
6. Dark Chocolate
The antioxidants in dark chocolate have only recently made the news as being a healthy thing to have in your diet. For years it was thought that chocolate only made you fat and was a form of sweet that was bad for your health.
This is still true for milk chocolate, and the healthy benefits only apply to dark chocolate. The less processed chocolate you can find, the better, as many companies like to tinker with it, it can be hard to find it in an untouched form.
Look for pure and organic dark chocolate, and satisfy your craving without going overboard.
7. Broccoli
You may remember your parents telling you to eat your broccoli, and it turns out they were right. This is one of the bigger cancer fighters out there, because it hits on many different levels.
The fiber it contains has its own benefit and can help contribute to getting your daily fiber needs met. Colon and bladder cancer top the list of types that are helped by eating broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
Broccoli is one of the more available cancer fighting foods on our list, and you can pick it up in several forms at a grocery store near you.
8. Tomatoes
Get plenty more benefit by making sure you cook your tomatoes. This helps to release more of the lycopene, the phytochemical that is thought to provide the cancer fighting benefits.
The science has backed tomatoes for years now, and it turns out that what was commonly understood is actually true and verified.
These provide a powerful antioxidant, and it seems that prostate cancer may be the type that is most likely to be avoided or aided by increasing your tomato intake.
Hear that guys? Eat more cooked tomatoes!
9. Walnuts
Here is another way to help prevent prostate cancer, as well as breast cancer. Up your input of walnuts. They contain omega-3s, which is surprising because you may only equate that with oily fish, but there is a plant-based form of it as well, and this is what walnuts have.
The tests that have been conducted have been on mice, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting a head start on consuming more of them.
The recommendation appears to be to eat a few handfuls a day for best results, so just sprinkling a few here and there won’t cut it. Try using them as a snack to hold you over between meals.
10. Garlic
Garlic is something that you’ll want to get more of, no doubt about it. The list of cancers that it can help out with is long, and only seems to be growing.
Garlic has certain antibacterial properties, and the theory is that it can help the body ward off cancer in a number of ways, including killing the cancer cells outright.
It may also help to repair the damage done to the DNA, and help to stop cancer cells from multiplying and spreading.
These are several reasons why you have to embrace this stinking rose and add it to more of your dishes.
11. Cauliflower
The sulforaphane in cauliflower is what’s been shown to provide the anti-cancer effect. It’s released when you chew it up, so make sure you chew it thoroughly, at least 20 bites before swallowing it.
The great part about it is that these substance only seeks out and destroys cancer cells, leaving your healthy cells alone. How’s that for being a cancer bully?
There are plenty of recipes available that will help you to start adding more cauliflower to your meals, as it makes a great side dish, or a companion to broccoli, which also made this list.
12. Carrots
Carrots got the label of being good for the eyes, but recent research suggests that they are also helpful in the fight against cancer. The findings show that at least in mice increased carrot intake was responsible for slowing down the growth of prostate cancer.
This is an amazing finding, and there’s no reason not to start eating more carrots, since they already provide other well-established health benefits.
It could be just a matter of time before it’s confirmed that they help with an assortment of different cancers.
13. Avocados
Perhaps you simply like the taste of avocado and didn’t feel the need to eat it, but now there are plenty more reasons to add this into your regular list of foods to eat.
They contain plenty of nutrients, but in particular they have antioxidants which have been shown to help reduce the risk of cancer.
They also contain fiber, which along with other fiber-containing foods can help to reduce that risk even further. So whether you mash them up into guacamole, or add slices to a sandwich, you’ll be helping yourself greatly.
14. Grapes
Rather than eating grapes directly it may be better to ingest a grape extract, or drink grape juice. It is the same substance that is in red wine that you’re after, and grapes can serve as a substitute for those that don’t wish to drink wine.
It’s the resveratrol that you’re after, and this has been a topic of some debate as to whether it actually works, or whether it’s all just a way to sell supplements and tout anti-cancer benefits.
It’s up to you to decide what you believe, and how much scientific data you require before adding a food to your diet.
15. Raspberries
Raspberries, and berries in general, are loaded with antioxidants, and have been shown again and again to help reduce the amount of free radical damage done to the body.
This helps to provide anti-inflammatory support which in turn helps to prevent cancer, and helps the body heal itself, stay youthful, and have more energy.
All the more reason to start eating more raspberries. They make a great addition to a smoothie, and you can drink one to your health by adding other smoothie-friendly foods from this list.
16. Flax
You may or may not be familiar with flax, but it’s got a lot going for it, and is one source of omega-3s that you might have overlooked. These have been shown to help keep cancer at bay, and also to send it back from whence it came.
It’s super easy to add more flax to your diet because it can easily be sprinkled onto any food on your plate, or easily added to soups, smoothies and more because the seeds are very tiny, and easily chewed up or simply swallowed whole.
17. Kale
Similar to spinach, kale holds its own as a cancer-fighting agent. Many prefer kale to spinach because of its taste, and its versatility as far as cooking goes.
You can find it fresh in the same spot as all other dark and leafy greens. It’s these sort of dark colored greens that you should add more of to your diet.
Kale specifically acts as a potent antioxidant, which helps keep the body in a healthy state that is unfriendly towards cancer cells and cancer growth.
Eat enough superfoods like kale and you create an alkaline state in the body where cancer cannot thrive.
18. Papaya
There are many health benefits to eating papaya, and the best part is it tastes great. It may not be as readily available as some of the other foods on this list, but it’s worth seeking out if it typically doesn’t make it into your shopping cart.
Because of the lycopene it contains you’re getting the same sort of benefits as you do from tomatoes, just in a different and sweeter form.
Just be sure to have them in moderation, with one a day being stated as a way to help keep cancer away indefinitely.
19. Salmon
The omega-3 content of salmon makes this a great headliner dish a few times per week.
You can actually make a very healthy meal consisting of all cancer-fighting foods by using salmon as your protein, choosing one of the several vegetables from the list, and using an antioxidant-packed fruit to give you your carbs.
When you select the salmon make sure that it is wild Alaskan to get the most benefit from it. All salmon is not created equally, and unfortunately the best salmon for cancer fighting happens to come with a hefty price.
But it’s worth the extra upfront expenditure if it means less time being sick later.
20. Brussels Sprouts
Residing in the same family as broccoli and cauliflower, Brussels sprouts have many of the same anti-cancer properties, and of course add to your fiber intake, making it a double whammy for cancer cells.
If you don’t prefer their taste, you can stick with their cousins if you find them more palatable. Just don’t miss out on these cruciferous vegetables altogether, and make sure you get at least one kind into your system on a regular basis.
They make a good side dish for several different meals, and you can find them fresh in the produce section, or frozen in the frozen foods section.
21. High Fiber Foods
Getting more fiber in your diet is key to so many different health concerns, and topping that list is that it results in a lower risk of getting cancer, particularly in organs of the digestive system.
This includes stomach cancer and colon cancer. More fiber also typically means you’ll lose weight and have more energy, which leads to increased feelings of well-being which can be of great help when you’re trying to avoid cancer or send it into remission.
Many foods on this list will help you get more fiber, and keep natural sources of fiber in mind, instead of foods that have fiber artificially added to them.
22. Collard Greens
If you’ve never tried collard greens before, now is a great time to start. These have long been a favorite in soul food restaurants, and it turns out that they’re good for more than just the soul.
They contain several different nutrients that act to detoxify the body and keep inflammation to a minimum. A toxic body is a breeding ground for all sorts of different cancers.
And if you don’t consume enough foods with anti-inflammatory properties you’re leaving yourself open to host of diseases you wouldn’t want to get.
23. Oranges
The Vitamin C that we all know oranges contain is a powerful antioxidant, and can be a powerful tool in your arsenal when fighting cancer. Plus they taste really good!
A great start to your day could be one or two oranges. Eat them separately and away from any other foods so that your body can assimilate them fully and draw out all of their antioxidant power.
Avoid drinking oranges in the form of juice, since many of the commercially available juices are heavily processed and made from low quality oranges.
24. Olive Oil
There are several different cancers that Extra Virgin Olive Oil can help to protect against, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. It is one of the healthier oils you can have in your home for light frying and use as a salad dressing.
By adding olive oil to the top of a spinach salad you’re doing plenty of things right as far as keeping cancer out of your life. It’s been clinically proven to help keep tumors benign if they exist.
You can even try adding it to a smoothie since its light flavor gets lost in all the other ingredients, but it acts as a thickening agent.
25. Sunflower Seeds
There are several different nuts that you can eat that will help your body, and sunflower seeds contain selenium which has been shown to help reduce the risk of many different forms of cancer.
They are easy enough to start incorporating into your diet. Just be sure to get the raw kind, and not the ones that have been dry roasted.
You want them to be as unprocessed as possible to keep the selenium intact. Also, avoid ones that have salt added, as this will only lead to higher sodium intake for no reason.
26. Beetroot
The benefits of beetroot keep getting bigger, and this is one food that has been overlooked by many for too long.
It can help to slow down the growth of active tumors, and you don’t have to prepare it and eat it in root form if you don’t want to, a glass of beetroot juice will provide the same benefits.
In addition to its cancer fighting properties it’s also been shown to help lower blood pressure and can help power you through your day.
Not a bad list of traits for a simple root.
27. Apples
The old adage of an apple a day keeping the doctor away still holds true in our modern society, this time helping to keep cancer away.
Apples are just one of those wonder foods that have a lot of great positive effects on the body. Of course cancer would be added to this list because apples help with a host of different diseases and conditions.
You’ll want to make sure to eat the peels, which means you’ll want to be sure to buy organic apples so you’re not eating all of the pesticides and herbicides that can be absorbed by the peels of conventionally grown apples.
It’s very easy to get into the habit of having an apple each day, and the old wisdom still pertains.
28. Strawberries
The nice part about strawberries is that in addition to being delicious they’re also great for the body, and can help it overcome many trials and tribulations. One of these is it’s ability to battle back pre-existing cancer, or stop the onset beforehand.
It also makes for a really great smoothie, and if you want to power up this super fruit you can add raspberries and blueberries to the mix to make it a true warrior.
Just be sure to leave out the added sugar and keep it all natural. Now that’s a drink you can toast to your health!
29. Spinach
Spinach has been touted as one of the healthiest foods on the planet and it’s also a great cancer-fighter as well. It’s so nutrient dense that you don’t have to eat a lot of it to get all of the benefits you need.
It’s also easily blended into a smoothie, adding extra water and a lot of phytonutrients, and turning your smoothie green. Studies show that the more spinach you eat on a regular basis, the lower your chance of getting cancer across the board.
That’s why it’s important not to eat a ton of it one day, and then go a week without it. Focus on consistently eating smaller portions.
30. Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts contain selenium, which has been shown to help lower your risk of getting various types of cancers.
The benefits of these nuts don’t stop there, as they also contain fiber as well as some plant-based protein, which aids in your overall health and can help to keep you at a stable weight.
It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that it’s your overall well-being that it going to help you prevent or send cancer packing.
That’s why you should be comprehensive about eating right, exercising, and thinking positive thoughts.
31. Lentils
Lentils have been shown to work specifically on a few types of cancer, such as bowel cancer, and breast cancer. They appear to help the body produce enzymes that have anti-cancer benefits.
As a bonus they’re also good at regulating blood sugar levels, and are digested slowly by the body, helping you to feel fuller longer. This makes them very diet friendly, and maintaining a healthy body weight has also proven to help prevent diseases like cancer.
If you’ve never used lentils in your cooking before, you can either buy them in the can, or buy them in their raw state and boil them until they’re soft.
32. Almonds
The same element that helps defend almonds against insects has been shown to help prevent cancer in humans.
One interesting thing about almonds and walnuts is that they have a pattern on them that resembles that of the human brain, and coincidentally it’s the brain that almonds help protect from cancerous tumors.
To get right down to the matter, if you were to develop a cancerous brain tumor, almonds would help to make sure that it doesn’t multiply.
When you combine them with the other foods on this list you’re doing your all to help prevent the situation altogether.
33. Peaches
Here is another way to help protect yourself against breast cancer in particular. The extract of peaches has been shown to really give cancer a hard time, even going so far as destroying cancer cells.
But it’s not a matter of eating a bushel full of peaches, since the extract is coming from the seed, which contains the same substance that’s found on almonds – which also made it on this list.
This doesn’t mean that you have to start munching on peach pits, but rather look for products that contain peach extracts for the best results.
34. Miso
Miso is a staple food in Japan, and is served with many dishes in soup form. For several years now it’s been thought of as a powerful deterrent to cancer, and the low cancer rates coming out of Japan are an indication that they’re doing something right.
Of course a lot of it has to do with the overall lifestyle, and you can’t attribute it to one thing in particular, but there seems to be some great benefit to getting a daily serving of miso, although you might have trouble fitting in the three bowls a day that show the best results.
35. Pumpkin
If you typically only eat pumpkin in the form of pumpkin pie during the holidays, you may want to introduce yourself to this helpful vegetable as a side dish at some meals.
The cancer blocking properties of pumpkins are well-documented, and there is even a campaign to plant pink pumpkins during breast cancer awareness month to remind people to eat more pumpkin.
It is not only breast cancer that it is supposed to help with. Give strong consideration to eating the seeds as well, as they contain plenty of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to defy cancer.
36. Pomegranate Juice
You may have jumped on board the pomegranate juice craze that peaked a few years ago, or perhaps you’ve never tried it.
No matter your history, it’s something that you can up your intake of if you want to reduce the likelihood that you’ll get cancer.
Those with breast cancer in their family history should really take note, since it’s been shown to have a direct effect on those percentages.
But it also shows signs of working on all types of cancer cells, slowing their growth and helping to stop the rapid spread that claims so many lives.
37. Lemons
Lemons are typically reserved for garnishing a food dish or a beverage, or for lemonade, but research suggests that they should be thought of on a regular occasion for their cancer fighting traits.
Don’t be fooled by email spam claiming that lemons are more potent than chemotherapy, but don’t write them off either.
They do contain high levels of vitamins, including Vitamin C, so you’re getting a good amount of antioxidants that have been shown to help prevent cancer, or slow down its growth rate if you’ve already got it.
Try adding lemon juice to a salad or smoothie, or to a glass of plain water to flavor it up.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating a variety of these cancer-fighting foods and drinks into your diet can bolster your body’s defense mechanisms. While these foods are not a substitute for medical treatment, they can play a complementary role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing cancer risk.
Regular consumption of nutrient-rich, whole foods along with an active lifestyle can promote wellness and support overall cancer prevention efforts.
Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized dietary advice, especially if undergoing cancer treatment.
