The Cancer Battle: Eat to Win

One of the most solid health tips is the simplest. Eat more fruits and vegetables, scientists say. But why are health experts pushing us toward the garden? Because while we've known for years that fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, scientists now know they're also packed with all sorts of anticancer compounds. This makes fresh vegetables and fruits among the most powerful medicines around. Studies have shown that a diet high in fruits and vegetables almost always cuts the risk of cancer of the lung, colon, pancreas, stomach, bladder, cervix, ovary and endometrium. What's astonishing is that in spite of these discoveries, only one quarter of the people in the United States manage to eat the minimal recommended amount of fruits and vegetables: five to nine servings a day. These can help:

• Incorporate fruit into your breakfast meal or drink.
• Throughout the day, snack on carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers.
• Learn to cook with cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale—they all appear to be effective cancer-fighters.
• Go heavy on the onions and garlic. Their sulfur compounds help your body break down potential carcinogens.