6 Cancer-Fighting Foods

Content medically reviewed by Amy Hieb, RD, LD

Protecting yourself against cancer might be as simple as changing what's on your plate, as decades of research highlight the power of food in preventing cancer.

Cancer occurs when abnormal cells multiply and invade your tissues and organs. Several factors can trigger this out-of-control cell growth, including inflammation, environmental factors like smog, and certain chemicals.

No single food can completely prevent cancer. However, certain foods like berries and beans are known for their cancer-fighting properties. By filling up on these foods and many others, you can help lower your cancer risk. 

“What you eat can significantly impact your cancer risk,” said Amy Hieb, oncology registered dietitian at Essentia Health. “Certain foods have nutrients that can reduce inflammation—a key cause of cancer—protect your cells from damage, and help your body break down cancer-causing substances.”

6 Foods That Help Prevent Cancer

These foods aren't just tasty, they might also help you stay healthy and lower your cancer risk. While research on their cancer-fighting properties is ongoing, the current data can guide you in the right direction.

1. Apples

Apples are rich in phytochemicals, a group of compounds that can potentially help prevent cancer. For example, phytochemicals weaken free radicals, which can damage your DNA and contribute to cancer development. Many phytochemicals are found in apple skin, so wash and eat the apple whole for maximum benefit.

2. Pomegranates

You may enjoy plucking the sweet and tangy seeds directly out of the pomegranate or adding pomegranate seeds to your salad. They’re the perfect snack, as researchers have discovered that compounds in pomegranates—namely flavonoids and polyphenols—could help prevent breast, bladder, and skin cancers.

3. Tomatoes

The same component that gives tomatoes their red or orange hue is what possibly helps protect you from cancer. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Research suggests that tomatoes may be effective in preventing cancers of the prostate, lung, and stomach. Cooking tomatoes increases their lycopene levels—so you’ll want to add these to your next dish.

4. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, are known for being nutritional powerhouses and for their cancer-preventing properties. These vegetables contain glucosinolates, compounds that help break down cancer-triggering carcinogens. There are thousands of varieties of cruciferous vegetables, including most leafy greens and root vegetables like radishes.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric adds a bright yellow hue to dishes like curries and yellow rice. Its cancer-fighting power lies in a key ingredient called curcumin, a substance gaining recognition for its ability to kill cancer cells and prevent tumor growth. Adding black pepper to turmeric significantly improves its absorption. You can easily spice up your dish (or beverage) by adding a few teaspoons of turmeric with crushed black pepper.

6. Legumes

Fiber-rich diets can reduce your cancer risks, particularly your risk for colon cancer. Beans, lentils, and peas are all types of legumes, a family of plants that are high in fiber. Legumes also help you manage a healthy weight, which can lower your risk of cancer. Beans, lentils, and peas make excellent additions to soups or salad toppings.

Foods to Avoid

Just as certain foods can help protect you from cancer, there are a few that can increase your cancer risks.

Fried Foods Fried foods pose a danger to your health in several ways –

• The high temperature used to fry foods can create a cancer-causing compound that your body absorbs when you eat it.
• Fried foods can also cause unhealthy weight gain, a risk factor for cancer.
• Oils that are used to fry food undergo a process called oxidation, which can create substances that damage your cells and lead to cell overgrowth, or cancer.

Processed Meats

Bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats are staples of most American homes, but they are known to contribute to cancer, according to the World Health Organization. The primary culprits are nitrates and nitrites, used as preservatives, which can form carcinogenic compounds in the body. Eating a lot of processed meats can increase your risk of colorectal cancer.

High-Sugar Foods

There's not a direct link between sugar and cancer, but high-sugar foods can lead to other cancer risk factors, like unhealthy weight gain. Sugar can also contribute to insulin resistance, which is linked to certain cancers like breast cancer. Soda, juice, and bakery treats are high-sugar foods that you should eliminate or significantly reduce to lower your cancer risks.

Other Tips to Help Prevent Cancer

Filling up on cancer-fighting foods is one way to help lower your cancer risks. Try some of these tips to stay healthy –

• Exercise regularly.
• Get all your recommended cancer screenings.
• Get vaccinated against human papillomavirus, an infection that can cause cancer.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Stop tobacco use.

Seeing your doctor for regular checkups is also an established way to reduce your cancer risks. During your checkups, you can talk about your genetic or family history of certain cancers that do not have screenings, such as pancreatic cancer.