Cancer Fighting Foods

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Ginger

— The documented evidence of health benefits of ginger go back 2,500 years and are almost as prolific as its culinary uses. Pungent oleoresins compounds (phenylalkylketones) known as gingerols, turpines, shogoals and zingerone have medicinal values and have been found to inhibit the formation of abnormal cells in the body. Ginger acts against certain cancer cells and helps reduce the creation of new blood vessels for cancer to grow. Ginger intake counters nausea that occurs due to chemotherapy. It also acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (more effective than vitamin E, for example). Additionally ginger is anti-bacterial, lowers cholesterol, is anti-clotting as it reduces the stickiness of blood platelets and promotes circulation, is a natural anti-histamine and decongestant, is appetiser, digestive and carminative, is helpful in coughs and colds. Ginger is known to contain chemicals that work even better than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like ibuprofen and aspirin. Note: Those taking anti-clotting medicines should consult their Naturo-Food Therapist if they are taking more than 6 gms of ginger daily.

Turmeric

— Turmeric, also referred to as a “Spice of Life”, is one of the most common natural household spice with not only culinary property but also with medicinal property which has since ages been used in Ayurveda medicine by our ancestors in India. The anecdotal evidence on the virtues and medicinal worth of turmeric is a legion. The Latin name of turmeric is Curcuma Longa.

The principal molecule responsible for its curative properties is curcumin, a phenolic compound, which is 10% by weight of turmeric and gives its characteristic yellow colour. Curcumin helps to quell the action of carcinogens and blocks free radicals, thereby reducing the risk of body’s cells turning cancerous. It inhibits the growth and spread of existing tumours in a large number of cancers: prostate, colon, liver, stomach, breast, ovary and leukaemia, for example. The low incidence of prostate cancer in India can be attributed to the consumption of turmeric. Turmeric also inhibits angiogenesis (development of new blood vessels in the embryo on which cancer cells feed) and forces cancer cells to self-destruct and die (through a process of cell suicide known as apoptosis).