Any online search about plant-based foods will likely result in information about how it may help inhibit cancer. But rather than randomly eating every plant out there, or being content with every nutrient sharing the same label of antioxidant, some foods would conceivably be more effective than others. This article highlights what may be the most effective foods at inhibiting cancer, keeping in mind that some are observed to specialize to certain types of cancer and others are more general. How this differs from my top rated health foods article is that this has a prophylactic focus on anticancer properties. Aside from food, beneficial associated concepts could include circadian rhythm considerations, sunscreen, other lifestyle habits, etc.
This list isn't entirely in the order of which I thought was the most effective, as many of them may target entirely different pathways that are more or less favorable depending on context. Regarding what is more specifically targeted when it comes to cancer, there is background info by "NutritionFacts.org", describing concepts like "hallmarks" of cancer, and covering benefits of the entire food (as opposed to extracts) and other perks.
Articles like this one are in an effort to develop knowledge reference compendia—analogous to a medicine cabinet—in pursuit of prophylactic marvels of dietary engineering, non-exclusive of health in general. Also, there are countless possibilities for synergy, which I discuss later, which furthers the potential benefits of incorporating most or all of the foods on this list in the same meal.
(The following contains affiliate links and I make a small amount if a purchase is made after clicking the links)
1. Garlic(evidence of superiority & gene modulation)
With there being reference to >200 identified types of cancer, obviously targeting any one type would affect this list of top dietary components. Garlic, however, has demonstrated multifaceted, far-reaching benefits. There is research highlighting it as the most effective anticancer vegetable against many different kinds of cancer. Aside from simply placing it on contact with cells in vitro, garlic also affects anticancer gene upregulation (in the same video, Dr. Greger discusses the heat sensitivity of beneficial nutrients regarding cooking). My favorite example I've bought many times is organic garlic by Spice World.
2. Soybean(distinction for retaining special properties)
Already considered one of the healthiest categories of food, legumes can contain something called "matrix metalloproteinase." However, while the beneficial utility has been reported in research to be retained in soybeans after cooking, in this study they did not appear to confirm this with any other food. These enzymes have been shown to play an important role in inhibiting the ability of cancer to spread.
Legumes (alongside nuts & seeds) are also regarded as one of the best sources of phytic acid (aka IP6, phytates), which are linked to incredible properties in association with an argument for widespread epidemiological evidence. It has also been compared to being a vitamin. Soy milk has also shown benefits. If you're looking for soy milk with simple/clean ingredients, here is an example I've bought several times myself.
3. Strawberry(has demonstrated effective results)
There is research involving strawberries demonstrating incredible efficacy in vivo. The observed benefits in this case may be associated with it coming directly in contact with the tissue, which may limit its relevance among types of cancer. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with strawberries being considered the best source of fisetin found in nature.
A great example of how to incorporate this into diet is with Micro Ingredients strawberry powder. Like other food items I link to later in this article, it uses "freeze-dried" strawberries, which have shown to be the ideal way to get them.
4. Black Raspberry(an outlier polyphenol source, harbinger of novel attributes)
While in many ways similar results have been obtained when tested against other berries such as blueberry & raspberry, black raspberry has been measured to be significantly different in others (check out the graph on page 3). Although oxidants can be used to target cancer cells, there is report of it not being a concern, and Dr. Greger has discussed regarding the potential for healthy foods to increase oxidants in cancer cells and decrease them in healthy cells.
Much of the attention regarding what make black raspberries special is associated with details relating to methylation. Various mechanisms have been attributed to its ability to help against many different kinds of cancer. Here is one great brand of black raspberry that checks off every box I have except to get it organic costs a lot more.
5. Walnut(an effective & concentrated overall health food)
In a study, walnuts have demonstrated superior anticancer properties compared to other nuts, and can be further distinguished from not only similar foods regarding other attributes such as antioxidants, but also many examples from other healthy types of food. I have happily purchased these organic, sprouted walnuts many times.
6. Broccoli(one of the best sulforaphane sources)
Like other foods on this list, the sulforaphane sourced from broccoli is known to upregulate desirable genes. Broccoli has demonstrated positive data regarding survivability. Broccoli sprouts have a much greater concentration of the components that make up sulforaphane when combined after chewing, or perhaps blending or freezing. That said, for variety, flavor preference or availability, swapping for another brassica vegetable may have many of the same advantages.
In some research studies, the results involve consuming large amounts of the food. Many vegetables are around 90% water, so getting a powder like this example from Micro Ingredients would be the equivalent of eating about tenfold as much food.
This food is a great example of where benefits have been linked to a very minimal amount of the food, making it easily included as part of a purposeful dietary combination. It has performed well in terms of coordination with adaptive immunity. A brand that is not fortified and meets other desirable criteria is this one by Foods Alive. Unlike other brands, this one displays that it has molybdenum in it, which also has been associated with aversion to cancer.
8. Lemon(a distinguished source of fruit)
In line with getting exposure to diverse types of plants for what they have to offer, I already have fruit listed, but the strawberry plant is in a different taxonomic order within the same class. There was research done where among the fruits they tested, lemon had the most effective anticancer effect, even though at lower amounts, cranberry was superior. The study did not include that many different fruits, so there may be many others examples that would have performed better. In a similar comparison of "proliferation", amla went negative and I may replace lemon with it on this list.
This is lemon juice powder (by Micro Ingredients) that I bought for myself. It tastes great adding to water, tea, or anything else I've combined it with.
Enhancers(finding synergies)
Whether or not they showcase direct anticancer properties, some foods can become part of creative ideas that elicit the latent potential of other foods. They might enhance bioavailability, stimulate immune system coordination, be a source of cofactors & other nutrients, or lend other beneficial effects. A ubiquitous example is adding a source of fat (e.g. avocados, olive oil, soy milk) to foods or supplements not already containing it, to better absorb certain vitamins and various secondary metabolites (as is the case with many drugs).
The piperine in black pepper is already well-known to assist with widespread nutrient absorption, with a good example being its combination with turmeric. There is also impressive research on black pepper & cardamom enhancing NK lymphocyte activity. This may be further synergized by blueberries increasing the number of NK lymphocytes; something that shiitake mushrooms have also shown to be beneficial at.
Further(thoughts and summary)
Cramming most or all of the foods in this article into one meal would be my idea of a prophylactic achievement of dietary engineering, however I can always find avenues to improve it. Something like a matcha & black raspberry soy milk drink would be a great idea to go along with it, especially if soybean was not already included in the meal. If you want to make it like a latte, there is a great coffee idea alternative (not roasted), minus the acrylamide.
Many of these foods have been demonstrated to be effective in small amounts, making combining everything realistic, especially in the case of powders. Ideally, each food would either provide pathway coverage or play a synergizing role. At the risk of overlap, lateral variety can be based on taste preference or cost considerations. There are many other notable foods that did not make the top list like turmeric, apple skin, and nutrient-rich algae. I focused on what I believe may be the best.
