Cancer Preventing Foods Kendal

By  Supernanny Team 22/01/2007

Obesity, physical exercise and the food they eat… of all the factors which affect your child’s health now and into their adult life, these are the most important. And as a parent, you can positively affect all three by setting the habits which govern your child’s behaviour.

This article will tell you which foods can help prevent cancer, as well as how much of each food your child should eat, how much benefit they can expect to get from it and – most importantly – how you can encourage them to eat it.

Top them up with tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the richest sources of lycopene, a cancer-busting antioxidant which, studies show, prevents lung, cervix, prostate and mouth cancer. And yes, tomato sauces are just as good for you as the fresh versions! In fact, a study from the Harvard School of Health found the antioxidants in tomatoes cooked in oil (like in tomato pizza bases and pasta sauces), were more easily absorbed by the body than fresh ones. Eating any kind of tomatoes seven times a week reduces cancer risk by 20 per cent. They can be added to literally anything, so throw them in salads, sarnies, on pizzas or in pasta dishes.

Go the whole hog

Wholewheat, found in wholemeal bread, brown pasta and rice, and some cereals, minimises the production of oestrogen, which is a known promoter of breast cancer. Researchers discovered that eating three or four portions of wholewheats each week decreases your chance of breast cancer by 17 per cent. However, if your kids are fans of the white stuff, make a sandwich with a slice of white and a slice of wholemeal (just put the brown one on the bottom). They also won’t notice what colour their pasta or rice is if it’s covered in sauce, so sneak some wholewheats in that way, and give them cereals like Kelloggs Shredded Wheat Bite Size or Nestlé Cheerios.

The future’s orange

Oranges contain compounds called limonoids (they give citrus fruits their bitter taste), which have powerful anti-cancer properties. Researchers at the University of California found children who ate oranges four to six times a week during the first two years of their life had a 50 per cent reduced risk of developing all types of cancer when they were older. Chop them up for a quick, easy snack at home (satsumas, clementines and mandarins also count) or pop one in their lunchbox each day.

Slip them a strawberry

A study from the Harvard School of Health found that people who eat strawberries have a whopping 70 per cent lower incidence of all types of cancer. They only need a cupful (about five or six average-sized strawberries) once a week. Again, they make a great snack on their own (ditch the cream!) or you can cut them up and sprinkle them on cereal.

Go green

Broccoli cuts your risk of bladder cancer by 44 per cent if you eat more than two portions a week, according to a recent study from Harvard University. Another study from Georgetown University found that it contains ...

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