How do fruit and vegetable juices compare to eating these foods whole?

Juices and Juicing - Questions and Answers ABOUT FOODS AND CANCER PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL

QUESTION: How do fruit and vegetable juices compare to eating these foods whole?

ANSWER: As a rule of thumb, it’s important to shoot for consuming at least
three servings of fruit and four servings of vegetables every day. Since juice
is not as high in fiber as whole fruit or vegetables, it is always best to consume
the whole food whenever possible. It has been shown that diets higher
in fiber are not only beneficial for protecting against a number of cancers
and chronic illnesses, they also help fill you up so that you don’t “fill out.”
Maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce cancer risk.
For people who don’t enjoy eating lots of fruits and vegetables, juicing
can be a way to bring these nutritious foods into their routine. One-half cup
(4 fluid ounces) of juice can be considered the equivalent of a single serving
of fruits or vegetables. Juice made in a high-powered blender that retains the
fiber in the food is best. Alternatively, use the fibrous end-product that
juicers produce by adding it to salads, soups, stir-fries, or pasta sauces.

If a completely plant-based diet isn’t possible for me, is it okay if I eliminate red meat and cheese and eat a low-fat diet with egg whites, chicken, fish, and skim milk in addition to lots of fruits and vegetables?

General Nutrition - Questions and Answers ABOUT FOODS AND CANCER PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL

QUESTION: If a completely plant-based diet isn’t possible for me, is it okay if I eliminate red meat and cheese and eat a low-fat diet with egg whites, chicken, fish, and skim milk in addition to lots of fruits and vegetables?

ANSWER: Eliminating red meat and cheese is a start. However, you’ll want
to go further and base your diet on whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and
fruit. Your diet will be much richer in cancer-fighting vitamins, minerals,
fiber, and phytochemicals. Chicken and fish contain fat—including significant
amounts of saturated fat—as well as cholesterol and other harmful
compounds, so the most health-promoting diets avoid them completely.
Skim milk and egg whites contain animal protein and cholesterol and no
fiber, vitamin C, or healthful complex carbohydrate.
An easy way to shift to a completely plant-based diet is to do it 100
percent for three weeks. In the process, you will adjust to new flavors and
tastes. As those twenty-one days fly by, see how you feel. You’ll realize that
you feel a lot better (and perhaps lighter!) and that you don’t miss the highfat
foods.

Increased Vegetables and Fruits

Increased Vegetables and Fruits in Foods and Breast Cancer Survival - How Foods Fight Cancer

Some evidence suggests that women whose diets are richer in vegetables
and fruits tend to survive longer.2,18 In a study of 103 women in Australia,
who were followed for six years after they were diagnosed with breast cancer,
those who consumed the most fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene or
vitamin C had the best chance for survival. The researchers divided the
group into thirds based on how much beta-carotene they got each day in
the foods they chose. It turned out that in the group getting the least betacarotene,
there were twelve deaths over the next six years. In the middle
group, there were eight deaths; and in the high-beta-carotene group, there
was only one death.19

In the digestive tract, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A. In turn,
vitamin A is converted to a compound called retinoic acid, which has a
demonstrable anticancer effect on cells in test-tube studies.16 A Swedish
study found much the same thing: Among women with breast cancer, those
consuming more vitamin A were more likely to have estrogen receptor-rich
tumors, a good prognostic sign.17

The Australian researchers also analyzed their data in another way,
looking simply at how much fruit of any kind the women had been eating,
including both beta-carotene-rich fruits and other varieties, such as apples,
bananas, berries, grapes, and dried fruits. The same sort of pattern
emerged. In the group eating the least fruit, there were twelve deaths; in the
middle group, there were six deaths; and in the group consuming the most
fruit, there were only three deaths.19

Similarly, a study of Canadian women with breast cancer found that
those getting the most beta-carotene and vitamin C had significantly better
survival odds.9 The benefit was dose related, meaning the more of these
helpful nutrients they got, the better they did. Those who got more than 5
milligrams of beta-carotene per day had double the likelihood of survival
compared to women who got less than 2 milligrams. To understand what
this means on your plate, there are about 5 milligrams of beta-carotene in
half a medium carrot or one-fourth cup of cooked sweet potato.

For vitamin C, those getting more than 200 milligrams each day had
roughly double the survival odds compared to those getting less than 100
milligrams per day. In practical terms, an orange has about 60 milligrams
of vitamin C, and a one-cup serving of broccoli or other green vegetables
has about 80.9

Vitamin E may have the opposite effect. In one study, women with
breast cancer consuming larger amounts of vitamin E had poorer survival.
Every one-milligram increase in daily vitamin E intake was associated with
approximately a 15–20 percent increased risk of treatment failure.8

Garlic for Fight Cancer

Garlic - How Foods Fight Cancer

Antioxidants in fruits and Antioxidants in beans and legumes

Garlic, in particular, has been subjected to a great deal of scientific study. When garlic cloves
are cut or crushed, they produce a compound called allicin, which is responsible for both their
scent and their biological activity. Several studies have shown that people who regularly include allium vegetables in their diets have less risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach and colon.12
In test-tube experiments, extracts from these plants have been shown to help
eliminate carcinogens and slow the growth of cancer cells.13 Researchers estimate
the amount of garlic necessary for anticancer effects is three to five
cloves daily.14 Cooking temperatures eliminate garlic’s beneficial effects on
cells unless the garlic is allowed to stand for about ten minutes between being
crushed and the cooking process.15

It should be noted that tests of garlic’s ability to block cancer promotion
have been carried out in cells, not in intact humans, so it remains to be established
whether garlic can actually affect the course of cancer after diagnosis.
Most people think of fruits and vegetables when referring to phytochemicals
and antioxidants; however, grains contain important cancer-fighting
compounds too. Grains have a unique phytochemical composition that can
survive digestion and reach the colon. This may help explain why grain consumption
has been associated with lower colon cancer rates.16

Allium Vegetables for elimination of carcinogens

Allium Vegetables  - How Foods Fight Cancer

Allium Vegetables
chives
garlic
green onions
leeks
onions
shallots

Because some vegetables, such as broccoli, are difficult to digest in
their raw state, you may be wondering if cooking knocks out their protective
effects. Studies show that, while cooking does indeed reduce the
amount of phytochemicals in vegetables, it does not eliminate them.2

The allium group of vegetables includes garlic, onions, and hundreds
of their botanical relatives. Yes, chefs value their flavors, but researchers are
increasingly intrigued by the possibility that they may speed the body’s
elimination of carcinogens and perhaps even
block the start of cancer or inhibit the growth of
cancer cells.

Garlic, in particular, has been subjected to a
great deal of scientific study. When garlic cloves
are cut or crushed, they produce a compound
called allicin, which is responsible for both their
scent and their biological activity. Several studies
have shown that people who regularly include allium vegetables in their diets
have less risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach and colon.12 In
test-tube experiments, extracts from these plants have been shown to help
eliminate carcinogens and slow the growth of cancer cells.13 Researchers estimate
the amount of garlic necessary for anticancer effects is three to five
cloves daily.14 Cooking temperatures eliminate garlic’s beneficial effects on
cells unless the garlic is allowed to stand for about ten minutes between being
crushed and the cooking process.15

Antioxidants in vegetables and Antioxidants in grains and grain products

Lycopene in tomato for reduction in prostate cancer risk.

Lycopene - How Foods Fight Cancer

Men who had ten or more servings of tomato
products each week had a 35 percent reduction
in prostate cancer risk.

You may not have heard much about lycopene, but you have certainly seen
plenty of it. Just as beta-carotene is nature’s yellow-orange pigment,
lycopene is a bright red pigment, providing the color for tomatoes, watermelon,
and pink grapefruit.

Lycopene is in the carotenoid family, meaning that it is beta-carotene’s
chemical cousin, and it is actually a much more powerful antioxidant. A
study at Harvard University showed that men
who had just two servings of tomato sauce per
week had 23 percent less prostate cancer risk
compared to those who rarely had tomato products.
6 Men consuming ten or more servings of
tomato products each week had a 35 percent
reduction in risk, and that was true even if their tomatoes came in the form
of pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, or ketchup. In fact, the cooking process
releases lycopene from the plant’s cells, increasing our ability to absorb it.

Not all red foods contain lycopene, however, as nature has a couple of
other similar pigments in its paint box. The red color in strawberries, for
example, does not come from lycopene, but from a group of pigments
called anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants in their own right.
(Other anthocyanins provide the color for blueberries, cherries, plums, and
red cabbage.)

Green leafy vegetables and legumes - The Most Healthful Calcium Sources

The Most Healthful Calcium Sources - How Foods Fight Cancer

Green leafy vegetables and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) contain calcium
and, unlike milk, are rich in fiber and other nutrients that protect
against cancer. You’ll also find plenty of calcium in supplements and, as we’ve
mentioned, in fortified soymilk and similar products. Calcium-fortified
juices are now widely available. However, it is important to remember that
increased calcium intake may be one of the reasons why milk is linked to
prostate cancer (because high calcium intakes interfere with vitamin D activation).

If that is true, you should be equally cautious about any product
that is extremely high in calcium, including fortified foods and supplements.

In that light, green leafy vegetables and beans are your best calcium
sources. They have adequate calcium, but not excessive amounts.

However, don’t depend on calcium alone—from any source—to protect
you from osteoporosis. While the dairy industry has pushed drinking
milk as a means of preventing the bone-thinning condition, studies show
that the strategy is largely useless.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that for girls in
their peak bone-building years—ages twelve to eighteen—getting extra calcium
made no difference at all in bone growth.11 Exercise worked very well
to foster bone growth, but extra calcium did not. Similarly, in a Harvard
study, a group of 72,337 postmenopausal women followed for eighteen
years showed that dairy calcium did not help bone strength at all. Women
who got the most calcium from dairy sources actually had no protection
against hip fracture compared to those who got little or no dairy calcium.12

So how do you protect your bones? Here are the most important factors
to remember:
■ Exercise is the first key. Your bones need a reason to live, so to
speak—and exercise strengthens them noticeably.
■ Vitamin D—from sunlight or vitamin supplements—helps keep bones
strong.
■ While you do need calcium, studies have not shown substantial
benefits of intakes higher than about 600 milligrams per day for
healthy adults.
■ Fruits and vegetables provide vitamin C to build collagen, which forms
the basic network of tissue within your bones.

Perhaps most important of all, you should understand that osteoporosis
is usually not a condition of inadequate calcium intake. Rather, it is a
condition of overly rapid calcium loss. Three factors, in particular, accelerate
calcium losses, and controlling them gives you important power against
osteoporosis:
■ Sodium (salt) accelerates the passage of calcium through the kidneys
into the urine. To reduce sodium intake, be careful about
consuming processed or canned foods and snack products made
with added sodium.
■ Animal protein is high in sulfur-containing amino acids, which tend
to leach calcium from the bones and send it through the kidneys into
the urine.
■ Smokers have rapid calcium losses.

The Most Healthful Calcium Sources

Broccoli can prevent infection and gastric cancer

Broccoli can prevent infection and gastric cancer

In a study published in Cancer Prevention Research shows that eating broccoli could inhibit Helicobacter pylori infections, a major cause of stomach cancer. Researchers conducted a study of 48 men and Waita Japan are infected with Helicobacter pylori, then randomly selects them to eat 70 grams of fresh broccoli every day for eight weeks and the rest alfalfa consumes the same amount.

They examined the level of H. pylori infection at baseline and at four and eight weeks later using a breathing test, serum and stool. Researchers found that levels of H. pylori significantly lower at eight weeks on all three types of the test among subjects who consumed broccoli, whereas subjects who ate alfalfa discovered the infection remains.

Researchers menyimulkan that H.pylori reduction will reduce gastric cancer, and consumption of broccoli can prevent stomach cancer.