Free Radicals and Cancer
Right now in your body, there are renegade molecules called free radicals that can cause serious cell damage that can lead to cancer. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are always looking for electrons they can steal from healthy molecules so they can stabilize themselves. This is good for the free radical, but not so good for the formerly healthy molecules, which are now unstable themselves. That means they now want to steal electrons for themselves. The process of stealing electrons causes major damage to cells, tissues, and organs, and is believed to be a major cause of cancer, heart disease, aging, and other conditions.
Antioxidants and Cancer
One of the best ways to attack the destructive activity of free radicals is with antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that donate electrons to the free radicals so they don’t need to steal. The challenge is making sure you have antioxidants in your body to keep ahead of all the free radicals. Although your body produces some antioxidants naturally, you also need to replenish the supply on a regular basis, not only because your body uses them, but because there are factors that can rob the body of antioxidants, including stress, smoking, alcohol, and use of certain medications, such as antidepressants, analgesics, oral contraceptives, and anticoagulants. Antioxidant fruits and vegetables are an excellent way to get the antioxidants your body needs.
Main Antioxidants for Prostate Health
The major dietary antioxidants include beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, and the mineral selenium, but experts are increasingly adding to their knowledge about the benefits of others, including lycopene, green tea catechins, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, and polyphenols. Generally, the richest food sources of antioxidants are the most colorful ones, which are why fruits and vegetables top the list.
- Food rich in beta-carotene are generally yellow-orange, orange, or dark green and include apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mangoes, and broccoli.
- Vitamin C is found in most fresh fruits and vegetables, but is especially prominent in citrus fruit, berries, red and green bell peppers, and spinach. More on vitamin C
- Lycopene is found in abundance in tomatoes, but also in several other foods.
- Quercetin is found in apples, raspberries, green and black tea, onions, red wine, red grapes, citrus, and broccoli. Studies show that quercetin may block the male hormones that may cause prostate cancer. Read more about quercetin
- Resveratrol is present in red wine, red grapes, peanuts, and certain berries (e.g., cranberries, blueberries, and bilberries). Read more about resvertrol
- Polyphenols are found in a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, with some of the best sources being blueberries, blackberries, black grapes, black currants, cherries, kale, kiwi, parsley, plums, and yellow onions
Vitamin E and selenium break the color “rule” when it comes to antioxidants. Vitamin E is found mainly in oil, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, and soybeans. Selenium is found in lean meats, seafood, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, and whole wheat foods.
Because the antioxidant content of foods tends to decline with age, cooking, and exposure to oxygen, the best way to get the most from your antioxidants it to eat fruits and vegetables when they are as fresh as possible and as close to raw as possible, such as steamed or stir fried.
