The foods that fight against diseases

New research is uncovering the age-defying, disease-fighting, fat-blasting superpowers of common foods you already love. Highly colored vegetables and fruits tend to be your best bet, like the lycopene in tomatoes and pink grapefruit, the anthocyanins in berries, the isoflavones in legumes, carotenoids in carrots and flavonoids in chocolate. Prevention is key when it comes to taking care of your health. This means going to regularly scheduled doctor and dental appointments, but it also means getting plenty of exercise, fruits, and vegetables.

Most naturally occurring fruits and vegetables contain disease-combating antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Together, these three types of nutrients are called micronutrients and are known to promote immune health and protect against cancer. Some plant foods have benefits beyond fighting cancer.


The research on turmeric is too extensive to leave out. This tropical Asian spice is used heavily in curries and Indian cuisine, lending a yellow color to food. Before the Western world got a hold of it, herbalists used turmeric for centuries as a natural remedy for several ailments.

Turmeric contains an antioxidant called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties, so it may be beneficial for such diseases as arthritis and ulcerative colitis. In addition, turmeric has anticancer properties. Curcumin has shown promise in preventing and treating several types of cancers, including prostate, skin, and breast cancer.

Fatty Fish

Omega 3 fatty acids are what make fish like salmon and mackerel true super foods; experts recommend three servings per week and for good reason. Fish oil has been known to be protective against heart disease for years and is recommended as part of any heart-healthy diet. Fish oil was discovered to help improve memory and is being studied in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

But the anti-disease benefits don’t stop there. In clinical trials, fish oil has proven to be beneficial for patients with ulcerative colitis, making the disease less painful. In those with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s or rheumatoid arthritis, fish oil reduces relapses.


Like many dark, leafy vegetables, it’s also a great source of several vitamins and minerals that keep the immune system in top shape. It seems like Popeye was on to something. Thanks to high concentrations of the antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene, spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. Research has credited spinach with anticancer benefits in addition to heart disease protection for those who eat it regularly. Lutein is also great for the eyes and can help preserve healthy vision.


Blueberries are one of the most famous super foods available because they are densely packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Many of those antioxidants are known to be protective against cancer, but the benefits of blueberries don’t stop there.

Blue berries, which are the most commonly consumed in America, can also help to lower blood pressure and stimulate your metabolism. They’re also a brain food and may have protective effects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, which are neurodegenerative, according to new research.


Like all cruciferous vegetables, broccoli has several anticancer components. Research shows that lung and breast cancer patients eat significantly fewer cruciferous vegetable servings than people who have never had cancer, and the results have been mixed for similar studies involving prostate and pancreatic cancer patients. Many researchers believe this point to a protective effect of cruciferous vegetables against cancer.

But broccoli seems to have a greater protective effect against cancer than other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It has been studied more extensively in humans, and several components in broccoli and broccoli sprouts have been pinpointed as anticancer agents.

The antioxidants in broccoli also appear to lower the risk factors for heart attack and stroke in men and that fight against cancer.


Tomatoes have anticancer benefits due to naturally occurring antioxidants found in all varieties of the fruit. The major antioxidant in tomatoes is called lycopene, and it has shown the most promise in protecting against prostate cancer in trials.

But lycopene also has a sunscreen effect that helps to correct the damage done to skin cells after UV exposure. That means that not only can it help prevent skin cancer, but it may also protect against premature aging.

These are the diet that fights fine lines, fatigue and heart disease and helps you to fight against cancer.