Top Foods to Fight Breast Cancer

October, as we pretty much all know, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And in fact, breast cancer is so prevalent it will affect 1 in 8 women in America in their lifetime. So, my focus for October is based on things we can do to prevent the disease, beat it if you have it, and greatly diminish any chance of reoccurrence if you have had it in the past.

First, up is food and there is no expert more qualified in my opinion than Dr. William Li, an internationally renowned Harvard-trained medical doctor, researcher, and president and a founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation. The following are some of Dr. Li’s top foods to kick breast cancer’s ass.

Oily Fish (such as salmon, hake, mackerel)
Marine omega-3 fatty acids are key! And wild caught salmon, hake, sardines, and mackerel are some of the best. According to one study, women who ate one serving of fish per day had a 26 percent reduction in risk of breast cancer. Be mindful of big predatory fish like tuna or swordfish as they can have significantly higher levels of mercury. For those of you who don’t like seafood you can always do krill oil supplements as well! It’s more sustainable than fish oil supplements, doesn’t spoil as easily, and is just as effective.

Beans and lentils
Organic beans and lentils contain powerful nutrients like quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin which all have cancer fighting effects. One study showed women who ate one cup of legumes per week had a 24 percent reduced risk of breast cancer.

Green Tea 
This is a big one! Green Tea contains the cancer fighting polyphenol, EGCG. And in fact, research has shown that matcha green tea could kill breast cancer stem cells, which is extremely important to prevent reoccurrence. 

Coffee 
Coffee often gets a bad rap, but if the coffee beans are organic and you don’t over consume it (no more than two strong cups a day) coffee can be yet another powerful food in the fight against breast cancer. It’s two most powerful bioactive compounds, chlorogenic and caffeic acid, help your own DNA fight cancer. Releasing a tumor suppressor gene called RARB2 which has shown to suppress breast cancer cells growth.

And remember, overall the key is to eat clean, minimally processed whole foods. Go organic whenever you can afford to – in particular with dairy, meat, and thin skinned fruits and vegetables. Maintain a healthy weight. Hydrate. And avoid excessive drinking at all costs.

Here is a general list of foods you should seek to include on a regular basis to help crush cancer cells in general and maintain optimal overall health and well being!  And, I strongly recommend reading Dr. Li’s book – Eat To Beat Disease. It’s a game changer!

•    Green tea
•    Strawberries
•    Blackberries
•    Raspberries
•    Blueberries
•    Oranges
•    Grapefruit
•    Lemons
•    Apples
•    Pineapple
•    Cherries
•    Red grapes
•    Red wine
•    Bok Choy
•    Kale
•    Ginseng
•    Maitake mushroom
•    Licorice
•    Turmeric
•    Nutmeg
•    Artichokes
•    Lavender
•    Pumpkin
•    Sea cucumber
•    Tuna
•    Parsley
•    Garlic
•    Tomato
•    Olive oil
•    Grapeseed oil
•    Dark chocolate