Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, research found.
Protect yourself from breast cancer and more by serving up these readily available superfoods for healthy family living.

SOURCE: www.health.com

Broccoli

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body’s protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals. Recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells — those that aid in tumor growth.

The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

Walnuts

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells’ growth.

Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, research found.

Garlic

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers
Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative.

Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

Beans

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Add a half-cup serving of legumes a few times a week (either from a can or dry beans that’ve been soaked and cooked) to your usual rotation of greens or other veggies.