There’s no one particular food or drink you can eat to beat cancer – but including these easy drinks ideas in a healthy diet may help reduce your risk
Drink a low-fat berry smoothie
Calcium, in particular from milk, probably protects against colorectal cancer and may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially in pre-menopausal women. It’s thought calcium enhances DNA’s ability to repair itself and if this repair mechanism is disrupted, it may lead to cancer. Milk and berries make a great combo, as berries are rich in cancer-fighting anthocyanins, which inhibit cancer growth and stimulate cancer cells to self-destruct.
Go green with your tea
The polyphenols in tea are strong antioxidants and green tea contains an especially active cancer-fighting polyphenol called EGCG. One study found that leaving green tea to infuse for five minutes released more than 80 per cent of the effective polyphenols. These substances are associated with a reduced risk of cancer of the breast, pancreas, colon, oesophagus and lung and may also slow the growth of prostate cancer. A study in Taiwan of about 500 people found that those who drank no green tea were five times more at risk of lung cancer than those who drank at least one cup a day.
Be clear – water helps
If you want to help your weight-loss efforts, save your teeth and cut your risk of cancer, calling time on your soft-drink habit is a good start. Avoid fizzy drinks, such as cola and lemonade, energy drinks, squashes and cordials (even the posh ones!) and juices. They’re all packed with sugar, provide empty calories and are a significant contributor to weight gain – and there’s strong evidence that excess weight increases the risk of six types of cancer, including breast and bowel. Try fruit and herbal teas or make your own ‘fruity water’ by adding a splash of juice to a glass of still or sparkling.
Watch the wine
A 2011 review by Cancer Research UK suggests alcohol is linked to four per cent of all cancers. It increases the risk of seven cancers – mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, breast and bowel. And even a moderate intake – as little as three units a day or the amount in a 200ml glass of wine – can increase your risk. And, if you also smoke, you multiply the damage. Build into your life at least two or three alcohol-free days a week, and always keep your consumption within the recommended daily limits (which are two to three units for women and three to four for men). And try drinking alcohol-free wine.
Calling coffee fans…
We often think of coffee as a vice, but recent Swedish research, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research, found coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of non-oestrogen receptive breast cancer than women who never drank coffee. Love lattes? Make sure you’re enjoying the skinny version – made with skimmed milk – to control calories and fat. High intakes of fat increase the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, while excessive weight gain and too much body fat will increase the risk of breast cancer whatever your age.