The Top 9 Antioxidant Foods For Preventing Cancer

—How to eat your way to preventing cancer?

Antioxidant foods are the magic bullet we’ve all been looking for in preventing cancer. Eating more of these amazing, antioxidant foods is one way you can reduce your chances of developing this menacing disease. Find out which foods have the highest antioxidant levels and begin enhancing your diet with cancer-busting ingredients.

1. Wild Blueberries

Antioxidants are the new way to naturally protect your body from all sorts of diseases, cancer being perhaps the most dangerous.

There are several things that cause disease in our bodies. Oxidation reactions happen naturally in the body under certain conditions, and as a result destroy the molecular components of our cells.

( Photo by Andrea Pokrzywinski )

Additionally free radicals, which are unstable molecules introduced to our bodies through environmental pollutants, normal metabolism, and our diets, cause oxidative damage and can cumulatively lead to disease.

Antioxidant foods contain micro-nutrients that help to prevent both of these processes in our bodies in order to prevent and reverse disease.

There are a number of antioxidant foods that we can eat, wild blueberries being chief among them according to the USDA list. These are much higher in antioxidants than cultivated blueberries and because they grow wild, are often organic, too.

2. Small Red Beans

Small red beans, which look a lot like kidney beans but are smaller, rival to wild blueberries, has the highest source of antioxidants in the world.

Sometimes called Mexican red beans, these little beans are also grown in North American places like Alberta, Canada, Washington, and Idaho and are backed with a ton of important nutrients.

( Photo by jeffreyw )

Eat lots of red kidney bean too though since they’re third on the USDA’s antioxidant foods list.

3. Pomegranates

Pomegranates are another super antioxidant foods and may be key in preventing cancer of the prostate.

( Photo by JOE MARINARO )

In tests done on human males, it was found that those who had higher levels of pomegranate juice in their diets following prostate surgery and continued to drink the juice after the test had a much lower chance of seeing their cancer return.

4. Artichoke

Cooked artichokes are another fine antioxidant foods that are a beneficial a lot for human bodies

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They’re 7th on the USDA list and in fact they have been shown to have the highest levels of all vegetables tested in a list of 1,113 foods. Artichokes have been linked to improved heart health, decreased risk of cancer and birth defects, as well as the regeneration of liver cells.

5. Pecans

This humble nut is also on the USDA’s top 20 list as the only nut! Delicious in baked goods and right out of the shell, this nut is rich in phytochemicals and has been linked to health benefits like protection against high levels of saturated fat, reduction of the oxidation process, and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

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6. Dried Prunes

Okay, so dried prunes may not be on your top 10 favorite foods list, but they are a boon for your health! Prunes have been shown to have high levels of phenols which act as powerful antioxidant foods.

( Photo by Son of Groucho )

They also improve heart health, normalize blood sugar levels, promote digestive regularity, lower cholesterol, and much more!

7. Russet Potatoes

Another very humble antioxidant food, the russet potato has also been found to have a good dose of antioxidants – surprise, surprise! They rank #17 on the USDA list, and we know we don’t have to convince you to eat this favorite vegetable!

( Photo by AlishaV )

8. Ground Cloves, Cinnamon, And Oregano

Turns out that many spices are also packed with antioxidants, including cloves, oregano, and cinnamon which ranked the highest. True, you don’t generally eat these in great quantities, but perhaps you should increase the intensity with which you season your foods from now on!

( Photo by FotoosVanRobin )

9. Acai Berries

Acai berries (pronounced ah-SAH’ee) are grown in Brazil and are fast becoming one of the most popular super antioxidant foods. Some studies have shown acai extracts to shrink the size of leukemia cells to the point of self-destruction and it may even help in preventing cancer as well.

Because acai berries are highly perishable, they are generally available to the public only as a juice and can be made into smoothies, ice creams, and other tasty treats.

( Photo by EduardoZ )

Noticed anything about this list? That’s right, there’s no meat! So the old tale your Mom told you about eating your veggies is true. Eat more antioxidant foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole legumes and you’ll be well protected against disease, especially cancer. But variety is important!