You've probably heard the theory that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, well this may now be more true than you could have imagined with Dr. Li's (the president and medical director of The
Angiogenesis Foundation) research. This new way of preventing cancer has been featured on
Dr. Oz's show and in Oprah's 'O' Magazine. This
article summarizes the research and theory behind this new "miracle" diet. Basically eat one or more of each of these foods at each meal and you can increase your chance of preventing cancer. This varies from the antioxidant theory of preventing cancer. These foods actually decrease new blood vessel formation which thus decreases the available "nutrients" to micro-cancers that are waiting to blossom. You can read more about it on the foundation's
website, but I find it absolutely fascinating.
The Angiogeneis Foundation's list of the top 33 antiangiogenic foods:
- Green Tea (Rather than just letting tea bag steep in hot water, dip bag up and down in water til ready to release more anti-angiogenesis properties)
- Strawberries (the seeds are especially important too)
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Apples (specifically Red Delicious)
- Pineapple
- Cherries
- Red Grapes
- Red Wine
- Bok Choy (Recommended to eat 1/2 cup, 3 times per week)
- Kale
- Soybeans
- Ginseng
- Maitake Mushroom
- Licorice
- Turmeric
- Nutmeg
- Artichokes (Aim for 1/4 Cup per day
- Lavender
- Pumpkin
- Sea Cucumber
- Tuna
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Tomato (especially when cooked with olive oil for 30 minutes, it increases the bioavailability of the lycopene by 2 times the amount; eat 1/2 cup, 2-3 times per week)
- Olive Oil
- Grape seed Oil
- Dark Chocolate
- Pomegranate
Research is continued to be collected about specific varietals of these foods that have increased benefits, ie the Red Delicious apple having more anti-angiogenesis properties than a Fuji apple. I find this all so fascinating and goes one step beyond just eating a healthy, well-rounded diet.
