Each of us has a huge opportunity to take charge of our lives by using food to transform our health. More than a hundred foods can help starve cancer and keep it small and harmless. Understanding that angiogenesis is one of your body’s health defense systems is the key to unlocking new secrets for long-term health, both inside and outside of the health system. Here are the 6 best foods and drinks to help balance angiogenesis.
Soybeans. Studies have shown that soy consumption increases longevity and improves health. A study of more than 5,000 women with breast cancer found that the more soy they ate, the longer they lived. In fact, their consumption of soy reduced the risk of death by almost 30%. For women who had completely eradicated breast cancer, they looked at how much soy they ate. Women who ate more soy were less likely to develop cancer. Soy has protective properties, and the sweet spot for soy magic in this study is 10 grams of soy protein per day.
Green tea. There are impressive epidemiological studies that support the health benefits of green tea. For example, the Shanghai Women’s Health Study of 69,000 women found that those who drank green tea at least three times a week had a 37% lower risk of colon cancer than women who did not drink green tea. How you brew your tea makes all the difference. The more you brew, the more natural anti-cancer agents in your cup than tea leaves! It is better to leave the tea bag in the water for a few minutes than to leave it at the bottom of the cup. Your DNA is your health plan. Green tea contains a bioactive substance called EGCG, which produces a natural antioxidant enzyme called GSTP1 that protects your DNA from oxidative stress. By the way, EGCG activates tumor suppressor genes that stop the growth of cancer cells.
A recent study by cancer researchers in England showed that matcha green tea has the ability to fight breast cancer. The researchers found that matcha blocked the fuel pathway of breast cancer stem cells, disrupting their metabolism and inactivating them. Since these cancer stem cells are responsible for creating more cancer cells, finding ways to stop them is a type of cancer research. Matcha may be a way to stop the growth of cancer stem cells. Although this study was conducted in a laboratory and not in women with breast cancer, it is exciting and warrants further research to see if the same results can be found in breast cancer patients.
Coffee. Coffee beans contain polyphenols that support beneficial DNA function. Like soy, coffee polyphenols activate the RARB2 tumor suppressor gene. Scientists at the University of South Carolina have documented these effects in the laboratory, exposing human breast cancer cells to two bioactive compounds found in coffee: chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. These two polyphenols alter cancer cells to secrete tumor suppressors into their DNA, preventing them from forming.
Tomatoes. Tomatoes contain a chemical called lycopene, which restricts the growth of blood vessels. Frying tomatoes for two minutes increases the amount of lycopene absorbed by the human body by 50 percent. Cooking tomatoes in olive oil doubles the absorption of lycopene. Tomatoes are an excellent source of health-promoting bioactive compounds, but some are more effective than others. For high lycopene content: Look for San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, black-skinned tomatoes, and mandarin tomatoes.
Red wine. Red wine has a good effect on the cardiovascular system and has anti-cancer properties. Although wine contains hundreds of bioactive compounds, the most well-known is resveratrol. Red wine, on the other hand, contains beneficial polyphenols, such as catechin, gallic acid, rutin, quercetin, and caffeic acid, which are common in other foods and have anti-angiogenic properties. Not all wines are created equal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot are some of the most potent anti-angiogenic wines. Note that excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, such as wine, is dangerous and can cause atrial fibrillation, hemorrhagic stroke, cardiomyopathy, as well as esophageal and liver cancer. When it comes to wine, it’s important to keep things in moderation because alcohol itself doesn’t make you healthier.
reduced the risk of kidney cancer by 33 percent. The same goes for beer: too much can be dangerous for your health. Be mild or moderate. Alcohol itself is a brain poison, and high doses increase the risk of dementia.
If you’re interested in learning how food enhances the body’s natural self-healing abilities, pre-order my new book, EAT THE DISEASE, today.