By Judith Hurley, Pure Matters
Plant foods, which contain antioxidants, may help reduce your risk for many cancers.
Try to eat approximately 2 cups of fruit, 2½ cups of vegetables and at least six- to nine-ounce equivalents of grain per day, of which half should be whole grain. Be sure to make room on your plate for the following nutrition-packed foods.
These small fruits contain anthocyanins, the antioxidants that give blueberries, cherries, plums, red and purple grapes and red cabbage their color. Anthocyanins help neutralize cancer-causing substances and may help prevent gastrointestinal cancers.
Tasty tip: Freeze red or purple grapes and eat them frozen. Add blueberries or cherries to cereal, yogurt or pudding.
Broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, chard, kale and brussels sprouts have substances that cause enzymes to be released into your system. These enzymes help break down chemicals that cause cancer and may slow early tumor growth.
Tasty tip: Add broccoli to salads and cabbage or chard to soups.