By Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh • Originally published on GreenMedInfo.com
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when companies love to showcase pink packaging…but sometimes, what’s inside those packages isn’t so healthy. So we’ve rounded up 8 naturally pink foods that have all been shown to help keep away breast cancer. Always choose organic to avoid pesticides and toxins. Go, Mother Nature!
Red cabbage
A compound called indole-3-carbinol (also rich in cruciferous vegetables) is now being researched for its potential to significantly reduce the incidence of breast cancer.
Pomegranates
These gem-like fruits may prevent breast cancer, lab studies suggest, by blocking a certain enzyme (aromatase) that converts androgen to estrogen.
Beets
Extract of red beetroot has been shown to help suppress multi-organ tumors in lab tests, and experts are considering using them in combination with traditional anticancer drugs to reduce their toxic side effects.
Radishes
High in antioxidants, these have been shown to help reduce the spread of breast cancer cells. Additionally, a lab study with Japanese radish sprouts significantly lowered the incidence of mammary tumors.
Carrots
Full of beta carotene like their orange counterparts, the red and purple in these heirloom carrots indicates extra antioxidant power.
Apples
Red and pink peels indicate cancer-fighting anthocyanins…plus quercetin, a flavonol that inhibited breast cancer growth in a recent petri dish study.
Sweet potatoes
Not to be confused with yams, the pink-skinned or purple versions of these are high in antioxidants. Orange flesh indicates beta carotene—shown to reduce breast cancer risk by as much as 25% when eaten regularly. And a Japanese study on rats showed that sweet potato extracts reduced existing breast cancer tumors, and held back the growth of new ones.
Grapes
Choose red ones for the rich antioxidants in their skins: you’ll get the same cancer-fighting component as in wine, but without the alcohol, which some studies suggest can boost cancer risk.
