Your diet is an important strategy you can use to reduce your risk of cancer. It is recommended that you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and eat the right amount of food to stay at a healthy weight. So make room in your diet for the following cancer-fighting foods and drinks.

Berries

As a tasty treat, berries are hard to beat. Berries contain powerful antioxidants, meaning they can halt a naturally occurring process in the body that creates free radicals that can damage your cells. Compounds in berries may also help keep cancers from growing or spreading. Therefore, as part of your anti-cancer diet, pick up a handful of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or any other of your favorite berries.

Tomatoes

Some research has found that eating tomatoes may help protect men from prostate cancer. The juicy red orbs can help guard the DNA in your cells from damage that can lead to cancer. Tomatoes contain a particularly high concentration of an effective antioxidant called lycopene.

Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables – the group containing broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower – may be particularly helpful in protecting you from cancer. Researchers have found that components in these vegetable can protect you from the free radicals that can damage your cells’ DNA. They may also shield you from cancer-causing chemicals, help slow the growth of tumors, and encourage cancer cells to die.

Garlic

Several large studies have found that those who eat more garlic are less likely to develop various kinds of cancer, especially in digestive organs such as the esophagus, stomach, and colon. Ingredients in the pungent bulbs may keep cancer-causing substances in your body from working, or they may keep cancer cells from multiplying. Experts don’t know how much you need to eat to prevent cancer, but a clove a day may be helpful.

Tea

Tea contains antioxidants called catechins, which may help prevent cancer in a variety of ways, including keeping free radicals from damaging cells. Lab studies have found that catechins in tea can shrink tumors and reduce tumor cell growth. Both green and black teas contain catechins, but you’ll get more antioxidants from green tea (if taking certain medications you should not drink green tea; consult your physician).

Whole Grains

Whole grains contain many components that might lower your risk of cancer, including fiber and antioxidants. A large study of nearly half a million people found that eating more whole grains might lower the risk of colorectal cancer, making them a top item in the category of foods to fight cancer. Oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread and pasta are all examples of whole grains.

Black and navy beans

Beans are a great source of fiber. They also contain short chain fatty acids called butyrates. Butyrates are formed in the intestine while digesting beans, and high levels of these acids have been proven to be effective against cancer.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and lettuce are good sources of the antioxidants beta-carotene and lutein. You’ll also find these nutrients in vegetables that are more traditionally eaten cooked, like collard greens, mustard greens, and kale. Some lab studies have found that chemicals in these foods may limit the growth of some kinds of cancer cells.

Grapes

The skin of red grapes is a rich source of an antioxidant called resveratrol. Grape juice and red wine also contain this antioxidant. According to the National Cancer Institute, resveratrol may be useful in keeping cancer from beginning or spreading. Lab studies have found that it limits the growth of many kinds of cancer cells; in men, moderate amounts of red wine have been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

To help prevent cancer, eat a wide variety of foods rich in nutrients that protect your body’s cells from damage and stay active.

Source: everydayhealth.com

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

The Chiro.Org Blog has just posted an amazing article about the safety of pediatric chiropractic.

SOURCE: Clinical Chiropractic 2011 (Sep); 14 (3): 97–105

This new “best evidence” literature review explored reported adverse events and the overall safety of chiropractic pediatric care, as well as other forms of care for the same complaints routinely treated in a chiropractic office.

The results were quite interesting:

The chiropractic literature reports incidence between 0.53% and 1% for mild adverse events (AE) associated with chiropractic pediatric manipulative therapy (PMT). Put in terms of individual patients, this means that somewhere between one in 100-200 patients presenting for chiropractic care may experience a mild adverse event; in terms of total patient visits, this means that one mild AE may occur every 1310 to 1812 visits.

This incidence rate compares favorably with:  The 9% reported incidence rate with Osteopathic pediatric manipulative therapy (PMY), and the 6% reported incidence rate when PMT was provided by a medical practitioner.

The authors concluded that: The application of modern chiropractic pediatric care within the outlined framework is safe. A reasonable caution to the parent/guardian is that one child per 100 to 200 attending may have a mild adverse events, with irritability or soreness lasting less than 24 hours, resolving without the need for additional care beyond initial chiropractic recommendations.

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net.