Eat these 5 power foods now to help prevent cancer

Living longer, healthier and happier lives is a priority for millions of people — and avoiding cancer is a big part of the deal.

While providing our bodies with ample nutrients to fight off disease and prevent certain cancers is a start, people still wonder: What nutritional tradeoffs should I make?

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, California-based nutritionist and health expert Susan Smith Jones, PhD, shared a few pointers about which foods to add to our diets for the highest chance of dodging cancer.

Here are a few cancer-preventing food options.

Sprouts

Sprouts are among the healthiest raw foods any of us can consume. While different sprouts such as alfalfa and radish sprouts provide excellent nutrition, broccoli sprouts reign supreme in terms of preventing and treating cancer.

A cup and a half of broccoli sprouts per day, in fact, can reduce our chances of cancer by 50%, advises Jones.

While growing a significant amount of sprouts takes a matter of mere days, growing an actual head of broccoli with less nutritional value takes about 77 days.

"There’s hardly a better food on earth than freshly harvested sprouts that cost pennies a batch and take two minutes a day to grow," Jones said.

Greens

All types of greens — such as spinach, kale, romaine, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and collard greens — will give us a bit of extra protection against cancer.

A recent epidemiological study — comprised of 206 other studies on humans — revealed that the most cancer-protective, heart-healthy and obesity-preventative foods are greens, Jones said. 

"And yet [only] one in five Americans eats enough greens to get the benefits," she added.

Tomatoes

There’s no better fruit for men to eat than tomatoes in terms of preventing prostate cancer. 

Cherry tomatoes are an even better option, since much of the nutritional value is found in the skin. 

The nutrition lies in the tomato’s lycopene, which gives the fruit its red shade.

Green tea

Try changing out your morning cup of coffee for green tea for extra health benefits.

Green tea may not only help prevent cancer, it also has antiviral and antibacterial properties, said Jones. 

It's also great for weight loss and immunity.

Nuts and seeds

Almonds are a great source of protein, fiber and vitamin E. 

Try soaking almonds in a bowl of water overnight to plump them up, soften their chew and boost their bio-availability, advised Jones.

Throw some soaked almonds in a blender with four cups of water for homemade almond milk.

Flax seeds provide a plethora of nutrients to help prevent cancer, such as Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

A few tablespoons of flax seed meal per day can also promote glowing skin and high energy, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and aid in digestion.

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