If a large number of studies highlight the protective role of certain foods, they are often controversial. Today, only a few risk factors are the subject of consensus.

A balance must

Fruits and vegetables, allies against any cancerAvant, a good balanced diet is essential. Thus, it is important to have a varied diet. Try as much as possible of the diverse contents of your plate. Moreover, it is necessary that your diet meets your needs. You need to adjust what you eat to your metabolism (see our application Calculate your calorie needs), your physical activity and your general condition (pregnancy, diabetes) to avoid excess.

Fruits and vegetables first!

Your best allies in the fight against cancer, these are the fruits and vegetables. Over the past 30 years, more than 250 studies have evaluated the relationship between these plants and this pathology. 80 have found a protective effect unequivocally. According to most studies, people who consume too few have a risk 1.5 to 2 times more likely to develop cancer. This effect could be explained by the action of different components: fiber, vitamins, polyphenols. Several studies put forward including the role of antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and selenium.

Smokers beware!

But these protective effects of plants depend on many factors. They can sometimes change dramatically by all individuals and environmental factors. Thus the most famous example is that of beta-carotene. They are antioxidant compounds found in tomatoes or peppers. All studies emphasized their role in protecting against tumors. Scientists have therefore tried * to give supplements to smokers. Instead of protecting them, this has increased cases of lung cancer! Therefore the relative benefits of fruits and vegetables by the case!

Choose your allies

You must consume between 400 and 800 g per day plant. As stated by the Campaign Secretariat of Health of November 2001, this corresponds to 5 fruits and vegetables per day minimum. Purchased fresh, they bring all their nutritional qualities. But you can also buy canned or frozen. Some fruits and vegetables have a protective role specifically highlighted by recent studies:
* Tomatoes, peppers, carrot
And all other pigmented vegetables. These vegetables are extremely rich in carotene, the antioxidant whose protective properties are studied for many years.
* Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
And all other varieties of crucifers. Several studies attribute to them a preventive role in the onset of breast or other female hormones.
* Cereals, prunes, peas
And all foods that contain fiber. Because they play a role “admittedly controversial” in preventing colon cancer.

And do not forget to eat in all cases at least five fruits and vegetables per day!

It contains cyanidin-3-glucoside, an anthocyanin that can help the body in the production of nitric oxide, which gives the walls of blood vessels more flexible, reducing stress on the heart and increasing blood flow, which reduces the risk of vessel blockage by thrombus formation.

The Acai is rich in essential fatty acids shown to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), sterols which have the ability to balance blood pressure.

As diabetics have found a pleasant surprise in Acai, because low blood sugar levels by helping to improve their condition, to which is added to protect blood vessels, to have a protective effect superior to that of red grapes, with its content of resveratrol.

Contains anti-inflammatory compounds such as beta-sitosterol and essential fatty acids, which are nutrients and natural anti-inflammatory as well as being involved in the transport of nutrients that feed the cellular levels.

Its anti-cholesterol effects in turn promote or improve the focus and mental clarity, which is especially beneficial for older adults, thanks to its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids are essential for improving the role of mental acuity.

The main health benefits are:

1. Moderate consumption is heart-healthy properties.
2. Moderate consumption is beneficial for bone health.
3. Moderate consumption has health benefits neurons.
4. The beer polyphenols have demonstrated anti-carcinogenic capacity.
5. The polyphenols enhances the immune response against certain infectious disease agents.
6. The polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties
7. The polyphenols have shown anti-aging properties.
8. The consumption of polyphenols prevent gastric problems.
9. Moderate consumption of polyphenols in beer or wine may be beneficial for constipation.
10. wine and beer does not have an excessive caloric intake so in moderation are suitable for low-calorie diets

Usually happens that the experts made the content analysis based on polyphenols “removable” but a Spanish scientific discussed in detail the chemical composition of apple, pear and tangerine and discovered that there orta class of polyphenols called “non – Removable, which outweigh the “removable” by up to 5 times. The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

“This family of polyphenols must be extracted from cell walls using a variety of fruit acids,” said Dr. Sara Arranz Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Madrid. He added: “If these compounds are not considered non-extractable is underestimating the true amount of material” healthy “–

For his part, Dr. Paul Kroon, professional of the same institute, also said that “in the human body these compounds activated by fermenting bacteria that live in our digestive system, creating metabolites that may be beneficial, for example, by their activity antioxidant.

The Spanish research group headed by Professor Fulgencio Saura-Calixto, has been working to prove that non-extractable polyphenols, which are beyond most of the analysis and are not generally considered in nutritional studies, are an important part of bioactive compounds diet.

“These polyphenols are important components of the diet and add significant health properties. It is therefore necessary to reinforce the concept of eating plenty of fruit every day” concluded Saura-Calixto.

A new U.S. research found that the popcorn is not only an important source of fiber, are rich in antioxidants, substances that help reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The study analyzed the level of antioxidants in various snacks, including popcorn, and cereal flour and grain popularly eaten for breakfast. He found that these products contain quantities “unbelievably large” of polyphenols, antioxidant compounds also found in fruits, vegetables, red wine and chocolate.

As pointed out by the research presented at the annual conference of the American Chemical Society, whole grains per gram containing a quantity of antioxidants similar to those of fruits and vegetables. Studies in the past have shown that whole grain foods reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.

And he believed that the active ingredient that produced these benefits was the fiber-found in the cellulose shell enveloping the seed-and helps the absorption and digestion of food.

The new study shows, however, that these products have a high nutritional value as antioxidants.

Polyphenols

In recent years there has been discovering the value of polyphenols to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. These antioxidants are a group of chemicals capable of removing the body called “free radicals”, compounds that can cause damage to cells and tissues.

Researchers at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, measured the total amount of polyphenols in whole grain flours, breakfast cereals, hot cereals and other grain products like pasta and cravings, cookies, chips and popcorn. “This is the first study that analyzes the total level of phenolic antioxidants in cereals consumed at breakfast and snacks,” says Dr. Joe Vinson, who led the study at the University of Pennsylvania Scanton.

“We found that whole grain products have, per gram, a comparable level of antioxidants to fruit and vegetables” said the scientist. The investigation found that between whole grain cereals, which have most antioxidants are wheat, corn, oats and rice, in that order. They found also that among the pastas, cookies, chips and other snacks, popcorn are those that have higher antioxidant values.

Without salt or sugar

According to Dr. Vinson, grains lose much of their nutrients and antioxidants during the production of cereals. However, the nutritional value of popcorn could be explained by the antioxidant is protected corn during the drying process of seed. And as soon as you pop to create the dove, you only lose a small amount of polyphenols.

The researchers also found that whole grains also have a high level of antioxiodantes. Experts say, however, that grain sold mainly for breakfast-containing high amounts of sugar and salt. So, they say, should avoid eating these sugary products.

Similarly, the popcorn can potentially be a healthy addition to the human diet, but only if you eat no sugar, salt and other food additives.