After all, the science on the cancer-preventing powers of specific foods is ongoing. But this much is clear: Regularly filling your plate with foods that protect your immune system, support a healthy weight, reduce inflammation and promote gut health can help reduce your risk for cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Further, not doing so comes at a price. One study published in in JNCI Cancer Spectrum suggests that a poor diet — meaning one that skimps on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy and goes heavy on red meat and processed foods — may account for more than 5 percent of new invasive cancers in adults in the U.

AARP Membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine. Join Now. She compares the impact of healthy eating habits to regular exercise. There are a lot of forms of exercise that would be helpful because they all fall under that umbrella of physical activity.

With that in mind, here are seven standout superfoods that should be a part of any cancer-preventing eating plan. In a report published in in The Journal of Nutrition , the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research AICR recommend following a diet that provides at least 30 grams of fiber per day; five or more servings a day of plant foods; and whole grains, nonstarchy vegetables, fruit and pulses at most meals.

The beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils — collectively known as pulses, or legumes — check all those boxes. Broccoli and its cruciferous cousins — cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale and collard greens — have long been associated with a reduced risk of cancer thanks to a molecule in each of these veggies that inactivates a gene that plays a role in a variety of cancers, according to the AICR.

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When researchers at Pennsylvania State University reviewed 17 cancer studies published between and , they found that people who included mushrooms in their daily diets had a lower risk of cancer. The secret ingredient? When fibre meets the bacteria in the bowel, the bacteria make something called butyrate.

Butyrate helps the cells in our bowel to stay healthy, so that tumours are less likely to develop. Eating more fibre can also help you keep a healthy weight by feeling fuller for longer. Being a healthy weight not only cuts the risk of bowel cancer, but 12 other cancers too. Fibre supplements may be useful for some people with certain medical conditions.

But for most of us the best way to have more fibre is by making changes to our diet and eating more high-fibre foods, particularly wholegrains.

The evidence so far has looked at the health benefits of fibre in what we eat, rather than in supplements. Content not working due to cookie settings.

World Cancer Research F. Wholegrains, vegetables and fruit and the risk of cancer. Continuous Update Project. Hullings, A. Am J Clin Nutr, Brown KF, Rumgay H, Dunlop C, et al. The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom in British Journal of Cancer.

Polyphenols, found in herbs, spices, vegetables, tea, coffee, chocolate, nuts, apples, onions, berries, and other plants.

Examples include beta carotene, selenium, and vitamins C and E. Antioxidants protect against oxidants, which are substances that can lead to cell damage. Oxidants can be naturally occurring, created by normal cell processes.

Or they can be environmental, such as pollution or cigarette smoke. Other vitamins and minerals. These include calcium, iodine, vitamins A, D, K, and the B vitamins. Dietary fiber. Fiber helps add bulk to stool.

It moves food more quickly through the digestive system. Fiber helps nourish a healthy community of microbes living in the digestive tract. This community is called a microbiome. A healthy microbiome has been linked with a lower cancer risk.

Of these, red and processed meats raise the most concern in terms of cancer risk. Red meat includes pork, beef, veal, and lamb. Processed meat includes bacon, ham, lunch meats, meat jerky, hot dogs, salami, and other cured meat products. Any amount of processed meat and more than around 18 ounces of fresh meat per week are most strongly linked with a higher risk of cancer.

Alcoholic beverages. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Learn more about alcohol and cancer risk. These findings come from the Continuous Update Project and the Third Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective.

These reports are funded by the American Institute of Cancer Research AICR and World Cancer Research Fund WCRF. Phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables most likely work together to lower cancer risk, rather than a particular food component affecting risk. Some help regulate hormones, such as estrogen.

Others slow cancer cell growth or block inflammation. Many lower the risk of damage caused by oxidants. Cruciferous vegetables. These foods include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale.

Frequently eating these foods is associated with a lower cancer risk. Several laboratory studies suggest cruciferous vegetables help regulate enzymes that defend against cancer. Studies also show that cruciferous vegetables may stop cancer cell growth in other ways.

But these effects may differ between cells and animals used in the lab and people. This carotenoid is found in tomato products. Other important sources of lycopene include pink grapefruit, watermelon, and apricots. But researchers have not yet demonstrated a direct link between lycopene and reduced cancer risk in controlled clinical trials.

Soy contains unique phytonutrients. Laboratory studies suggest that these substances help protect against some types of cancer.

Clinical trials are more clearly defining the role of soy in cancer prevention. The relationship between soy and breast cancer risk is especially complex. Current studies suggest eating up to 3 servings of whole soy foods, such as edamame, tofu, soy milk, and miso, is safe and may reduce breast cancer risk.

But guidelines do not specifically recommend adding soy foods into the diet to reduce breast cancer risk. Doctors do recommend avoiding concentrated isoflavone pills and powders.

But each one offers additional nutrients, so there are benefits to mixing things up. You could go on and on. That humble bowl of steel-cut oatmeal may help bolster protection against cancer, including colorectal cancer, studies show. Whole grains like oats are loaded with fiber, antioxidants and phytoestrogens plant-based compounds that have a slew of health benefits, including a lowered risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and breast cancer , all of which help protect against cancer.

Not a fan of oatmeal? Bulgur, brown rice, barley, corn, quinoa and whole wheat couscous have the same cancer-fighting properties. Berries earn their cancer-fighting bona fides in a couple of ways. For starters, all berries — strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries — are packed with cancer-fighting plant compounds known as phytochemicals.

Excess body weight is thought to be responsible for about 7 percent of all cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. The amount of lycopene — the cancer-fighting carotenoid responsible for making tomatoes red — is often much higher in processed foods like tomato juice and pizza and pasta sauce than in fresh foods.

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Refined processed grains are missing part of the grain. This creates the whiter grains seen in white bread, white rice, and white pasta. Most of the nutrients and fibre are found in these removed parts. This means that wholegrains are naturally more nutritious and are higher in fibre than refined grains.

Wholegrains are things like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oats and wholegrain bread. Fibre is found in plant-based foods like wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and pulses such as beans or lentils. Based on what we know so far, it seems the fibre from wholegrains is better at reducing cancer risk than fibre from other foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Having a diet high in fibre, and wholegrains in particular, can help to reduce your risk of cancer. The government recommends that adults have 30g of fibre each day. For most people, this means eating more portions of wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal toast 7g of fibre , wholegrain cereals Many products have labels showing how much fibre is in them.

High-fibre products have 6g or more fibre per g. Remember, all oats and brown rice are wholegrains. There are several ways that a high-fibre diet could reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Fibre helps us to poo more often, increases the size of poos and dilutes their contents.

This means harmful chemicals spend less time in the bowel. Although some foods can affect cancer risk, there is no evidence that specific foods can cause or cure cancer. Eating 7 or more serves daily of a variety of grains, grain products, legumes, roots and tubers will also provide protective benefits against cancer.

The less processed the grains, the better, so try to aim for wholegrain foods. Oats, brown rice, corn, rye, kidney beans and lentils are all good foods to consume. Diets high in refined starch and refined sugar may increase the risk of stomach cancer and bowel cancer.

There is now convincing scientific evidence that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. Processed meats include any meat that has been preserved by curing, salting or smoking, or by adding chemical preservatives.

These include hot dogs, ham, bacon, and some sausages and burgers. It is recommended that children are not given processed meats. This is because many of the habits we develop as children last into adulthood. Substitutes for processed meats that are recommended for children include fish or lean poultry, lean meats or low-fat cheese.

It is recommended that individuals, particularly men, decrease their intake of red meat. The WCRF recommends limiting the amount of fresh red meat we eat to less than g of cooked or g uncooked red meat a week.

Some research suggests that eating burnt or charred meat may increase cancer risk, but the evidence is unclear.

There has been a great deal of interest in a possible link between fat and cancer. Current evidence does not indicate a direct link between fat intake and particular types of cancer with the possible exception of prostate cancer.

However, a high-fat diet may lead to obesity, which is a risk factor for several cancers, including cancers of the colon, breast , kidney , oesophagus, gallbladder and endometrium. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants , which may help to decrease your risk of cancer in particular areas of the digestive system, such as the mouth and stomach.

Evidence has weakened over recent years over the role of fruit and vegetables in preventing cancer. Yet fruits and vegetables are still an important part of your diet and may play an indirect effect of preventing cancer because they are relatively low in kilojoules energy and consumption is associated with a healthier weight.

Some common cancers may be affected by what we eat, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the world, and most lung cancers are caused by smoking. Eating a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of lung cancer, both in people who smoke and those who do not.

Recent evidence suggests that cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and bok choy are excellent vegetable choices.

While eating fruits and vegetables may offer some degree of protection from lung cancer, not smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke is by far the best prevention. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the world. There is an increased risk of breast cancer with factors such as rapid early growth, greater adult height and weight gain in adulthood.

The rate of breast cancer also increases with age. Postmenopausal women who are carrying too much weight, particularly around their middle, have more than twice the average risk of breast cancer.

Diets high in foods containing mono-unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, canola oil, some nuts and seeds, and high in vegetables may reduce the risk.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men. Men over the age of 50 are at greater risk. However, it can be seen in younger men as well. Vegetables soy , in particular may decrease the risk, while a high-fat diet that comprises mostly of animal fat sources such as dairy products, fatty meats and takeaway foods may increase the risk.

Maintaining a healthy body weight may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, tomato-based products, watermelon and strawberries that may help lower the risk of prostate cancer. Evidence suggests that consuming one to 2 serves of tomatoes per day where a serve is ½ a cup or 75 grams is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Bowel cancer colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Australia. Keeping a healthy weight , being physically active and having a diet high in vegetables and fibre are protective, while consuming a large amount of red meat, processed meat and alcohol may increase the risk.

The World Cancer Research Fund suggests high-dose dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention, and the best approach to preventing cancer is to aim to meet nutrition needs through whole foods. Studies may show that foods containing certain nutrients have a protective effect.

However, this does not mean that these nutrients will provide the same benefits for cancer prevention if taken as supplements.