A study indicates that consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily can reduce the risk of cancer by 20%. Which fruits have anti-cancer effects?
Kiwi Fruit
Rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, its content is 4-12 times that of oranges, 30 times that of apples, and 60 times that of grapes. Recent studies have confirmed that kiwi contains an active substance that blocks the formation of "nitrosamines," which are carcinogens in the human body, thus possessing a good anti-cancer effect.
Pears
Can promote the production of body fluids, moisten dryness, clear heat, and resolve phlegm. Ancient physicians often used it for esophageal cancer, cardiac cancer, and stomach cancer. For example, the "Dian Nan Ben Cao" states: "Treats stomach masses and food stagnation." The "Ben Cao Qiu Yuan" also introduces: "Treats declining academic performance gradually leading to dysphagia; drink pear juice with human milk, sugarcane juice, reed rhizome juice, urine of a young boy, and bamboo juice." The "Sheng Ji Zong Lu" also contains a simple remedy: "Treats vomiting and food not going down; take one large snow pear, pierce it with 15 cloves of cloves, wrap it in wet paper four or five times, and roast it until cooked to eat." Due to the cancer-preventing and anti-cancer effects of its carotene, vitamin B2, vitamin C, etc., pears are also suitable for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and lung cancer.
Apricots
Suitable for consumption by patients with various types of cancer. According to research, apricots are the fruit richest in vitamin B17, which is an extremely effective anti-cancer substance that can kill cancer cells. It has been reported that the United States uses vitamin B17 to treat cancer, and among 250 treated patients, 248 were saved. To date, vitamin B17 has saved the lives of 4,000 patients with advanced cancer.
Hawthorn
Can invigorate blood, resolve stasis, transform stagnation and eliminate accumulation, whet the appetite and aid digestion. It is also rich in vitamin C. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that cancerous tumors are solid masses, often with signs of qi stagnation and blood stasis. Because hawthorn can invigorate blood and resolve stasis, is good at eliminating meat accumulation, and can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, it is suitable for the treatment of various cancerous tumors. It is especially suitable for patients with malignant tumors of the digestive tract and female reproductive system who also have poor appetite.
Oranges
All fruits in the citrus family of the Rutaceae, such as tangerines, oranges, pomelos, sweet oranges, lemons, kumquats, etc., are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a barrier against cancer and can prevent the formation of the strong carcinogen nitrosamine. It is especially suitable for patients with esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and laryngeal cancer.
Jujubes
Can tonify the spleen and stomach, benefit qi and blood, and are also rich in vitamins B, C, P, and carotene. The content of vitamin C and P is particularly high, ranking first among all fruits. Foreign scholars have analyzed that jujubes contain a group of triterpenoid compounds, which are effective anti-cancer ingredients; other studies suggest that jujubes are rich in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which has anti-cancer effects. Therefore, jujubes are another anti-cancer fruit. In folk medicine, many cancer patients after surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy often eat jujube porridge, or stew jujubes with Astragalus. Using 10 jujubes and 30 grams of raw Astragalus daily for stewing is beneficial for improving immune function, enhancing physical fitness, and preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis.
Bananas
Are cool in nature and sweet in taste, can clear heat and promote bowel movements, and are especially suitable for patients with colorectal cancer. According to modern medical research, bananas are rich in the trace element magnesium, which has a cancer-preventing effect. In 1986, the Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences discovered that banana extract has a significant inhibitory effect on three carcinogens—aflatoxin B1, 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide, and benzopyrene.
Strawberries
Suitable for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer, tonsil cancer, laryngeal cancer, lung cancer, and these patients during radiotherapy, it can produce the effects of promoting body fluids to quench thirst, moistening the lungs to stop coughing, and benefiting the throat to soothe it. It is also beneficial for alleviating radiotherapy reactions, reducing symptoms, and aiding recovery. According to a report in "Businessweek," Gary Stoner, a pathologist at the Ohio College of Medicine, and John Mase, a plant geneticist at the Agricultural Research Institute, found in their research that ellagic acid in strawberries can protect human tissues from damage by carcinogens, thus being beneficial for cancer prevention and treatment.
Figs
Can reduce swelling and detoxify, and are suitable for patients with colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, lymphosarcoma, and other types of cancer. It is a broad-spectrum anti-cancer fruit. Modern pharmacological research has shown that figs indeed have good anti-cancer effects. It has been reported that the aqueous extract of dried fruit has an effect against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma. The latex obtained from unripe fruits can inhibit rat-transplanted sarcoma and spontaneous mouse breast cancer, causing tumor necrosis; it can also delay the development of transplanted adenocarcinoma, myeloid leukemia, and lymphosarcoma, causing them to regress.