Research from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and international cancer studies indicates that consuming at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily can reduce the risk of cancer by 20%. Studies have shown that more than a dozen types of fruits can effectively lower the risk of cancer. These fruits include strawberries, oranges, tangerines, apples, cantaloupes, kiwis, watermelons, lemons, grapes, grapefruits, pineapples, and kiwifruit. Some of their special components offer irreplaceable benefits in preventing colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.
Among anti-cancer fruits, strawberries rank first. Fresh strawberries contain a wonderful tannic acid substance that can produce an anti-toxic effect in the body and prevent the formation of cancer cells. Additionally, strawberries contain an amine substance that is also very effective in preventing blood diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia.
Strawberry
Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruits are rich in bioflavonoids, which can enhance the activity of certain enzymes in the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver, helping to convert fat-soluble carcinogens into water-soluble ones, making them less absorbable and more easily excreted. At the same time, they can enhance the body's ability to absorb an important anti-cancer substance—vitamin C. Vitamin C can boost immunity, prevent the formation of the strong carcinogen nitrosamine, and plays a certain role in preventing and treating digestive tract cancers.
A study found that people who eat an average of one citrus fruit per day have a one-third lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who eat less than one per week.
Kiwifruit is rich in vitamins, especially its vitamin C content, which is 4-12 times that of oranges, 30 times that of apples, and 60 times that of grapes. Recent research has confirmed that kiwifruit contains an active substance that can block the formation of carcinogenic "nitrosamine" in the human body, thus having a good anti-cancer effect.
Kiwifruit
Pears can promote the production of body fluids, moisten dryness, clear heat, and resolve phlegm. Ancient physicians often used them for esophageal cancer, cardiac cancer, and stomach cancer. Because the carotene, vitamin B2, and vitamin C contained in pears have certain anti-cancer effects, pears are suitable for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and lung cancer.
Apricots are 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 in the United States, vitamin B17 has been used to treat cancer. In a study of 250 treated patients, 248 were saved, and to date, vitamin B17 has saved the lives of 4,000 patients with advanced cancer.
Grapes, especially their skins, contain anthocyanins and resveratrol, which are natural antioxidants with anti-cancer effects. They can inhibit the malignant transformation of cancer cells and destroy the replication ability of leukemia cells.
Grape
Apples contain a very useful component—polyphenols, which can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Researchers have found that apple polyphenols can reduce the incidence of colon cancer. In mice transplanted with cancer cells, those that consumed an apple polyphenol solution showed better anti-cancer effects in terms of survival rate and quality of life.
Apple
Although the anti-cancer effects of fruits are significant, when consuming them, it is still necessary to select and appropriately combine them according to individual characteristics. Some people experience gastrointestinal disorders from eating too many raw strawberries because strawberries are relatively acidic. Therefore, patients with digestive system cancers should be especially cautious. Additionally, patients with urinary tract stones or poor kidney function should not eat too many strawberries, as they contain a high amount of calcium oxalate, and excessive consumption can worsen their condition.
A friendly reminder: The best time to eat fruit is 1 hour before a meal. Fruit is considered a raw food. Eating fruit before a meal is equivalent to eating raw food before cooked food, which prevents an increase in white blood cells in the body and helps protect the human immune system.