Here’s what latest research says about foods that possibly prevent or lower the risk of certain cancers.  Read on..

1. Apple

One apple provides at least 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C and fiber. Dietary fiber can act in several ways to lower cancer risk, including helping with weight control. (Excess body fat increases the risk of seven different cancers, and dietary fiber can increase the feeling of fullness.) Gut bacteria can use pectin, a major portion of apples’ dietary fiber, to produce compounds that protect colon cells.  Dietary fiber is known to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer.

Apples also contain a variety of phytochemicals that scientists are studying for their anti-cancer effects.  The peel of the apple contains a third or more of its phytochemical compounds. About 80 percent of quercetin, for example, is located in the peel.

2. Cruciferous veggies

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and turnips are some of the cruciferous veggies. The link between cruciferous vegetables and their components to cancer prevention is relatively well-studied.  Non starchy vegetables possibly lower risk of cancer of Mouth, pharynx and larynx, esophagus, and stomach, and the beta carotene and vitamin C in this lower risk of esophageal cancer.

3. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, chicory and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fiber, folate and a wide range of carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, along with saponins and flavonoids.

According to AICR's second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, foods containing carotenoids probably protect against cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx.

Researchers believe that carotenoids seem to prevent cancer by acting as antioxidants – that is, scouring potentially dangerous “free radicals” from the body before they can do harm. Some laboratory research has found that the carotenoids in dark green leafy vegetables can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer.

4. Dry beans, peas

Dry beans and peas are rich in fiber (20% of Daily Value) and a good source of protein (10% of Daily Value). They are also an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin. Foods containing folate help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer probably because of folate's role in healthy cell division and repair of damaged cells. Legumes contain other health-promoting substances that may also protect against cancer that include lignans and saponins, resistant starch, starch not digested in the small intestine, is used by healthful bacteria in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids, which seem to protect colon cells and antioxidants from a variety of phytochemicals, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, inositol, protease inhibitors and sterols.

5. Grapes and grape juice

Both grapes and grape juice are rich sources of resveratrol, a type of natural phytochemical that belongs to a much larger group of phytochemicals called polyphenols.

The skin of the grape contains the most resveratrol, and red and purple grapes contain significantly more resveratrol than green grapes. Grape jam and raisins contain much smaller amounts of this phytochemical. 

Red wine also contains resveratrol. However, with AICR’s second expert report noting convincing evidence that alcohol is associated with increased risk for cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, esophagus, breast (pre- and postmenopausal) and colon and rectum (in men), wine is not a recommended source of resveratrol.

Studies suggest that polyphenols in general and resveratrol, in particular, possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In laboratory studies, resveratrol prevented the kind of damage known to trigger the cancer process in cell, tissue and animal models.

Other laboratory research points to resveratrol’s ability to slow the growth of cancer cells and inhibit the formation of tumors in lymph, liver, stomach and breast cells. Resveratrol has also triggered the death of leukemic and colon cancer tumors.

In one series of studies, resveratrol blocked the development of skin, breast and leukemia cancers at all three stages of the disease (initiation, promotion and progression).

6. Flaxseed

Dietary fiber seems to play a role in lowering cancer risk through its ability to provide a feeling of satiation, which could help with weight control. (Excess body fat is a cause of seven cancers.) Healthful bacteria in the colon may also use dietary fiber to produce substances that protect colon cells.

Studies do not support fears that flaxseed could increase incidence or recurrence of breast cancer.

 Studies related to flaxseed also focus on its ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). ALA is a form of omega-3 fat that is converted into another omega-3 fat, called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) for short. EPA is a source of protective, anti-inflammatory compounds. Only a small proportion of ALA is converted into EPA; yet the relatively small amounts of flaxseed commonly used in studies have been shown to significantly increase EPA levels.

7. Coffee

Coffee, brewed from the beans of a small shrub or tree, contains vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and a variety of phytochemicals

Coffee contains a variety of phytochemicals, many of which have antioxidant properties. Coffee's possible link to cancer is a well studied one, with over 1,000 studies on the topic. Early in the research, some studies hinted that coffee might increase cancer risk. Larger and more well-designed studies now suggest the opposite: it may be protective for some cancers.

Laboratory studies are focusing on coffee beans' lignans and phytochemicals. In cell and animal studies, scientists have identified several phytochemicals that help control cell growth and reduce cancer cell development.