Back to Top

7 Surprising Foods Cancer Hates — Eat These and Watch Your Body Throw a Party (Experts Swear By It!)

Added on January 14, 2026 inASTROLOGY CARDS

Ever wonder if your dinner plate might be your secret weapon against cancer? It’s not just wild speculation—what you shove into your mouth daily can either armor your body’s defenses or throw it into chaos. Think of it like this: your food choices are the astrologers of your cells, whispering fate into your DNA with every bite. Whether you’re dodging a family cancer history or just playing the long game, tweaking your diet could genuinely tip the scales. It’s like Mercury retrograde messing with your immune system if you eat processed junk, but the right combo of real, plant-powered foods can flip the script entirely. Yeah, no single food is a magic wand, but stacking the right ones? That’s where the real mojo happens. Ready to align your health stars and eat for life? Here’s how to get started. LEARN MORE.

If you have a family history of cancer or just want to lessen your cancer risk, you can take control of your health with simple lifestyle changes. The food you choose to eat can either support your body and strengthen your immune system or wreak havoc on your cells and cause oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. It amazes me that a simple food choice can either raise or lower your risk of developing cancer. No one food is a magic cure-all, but a combination of the right foods in your diet can control your cancer risk.

Advertisement

A healthy diet is a daily diet. One that focuses primarily on real food as the root of every meal. Whether you’re enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, it’s time to put down the processed crap. It’s causing you harm. Instead, add in the cancer-fighting foods listed below, and you’ll be on the way to your healthiest body ever. There are three main things this list drives home: Eat plant-based, eat alkaline, and eat for life. 

Plants contain powerful compounds that fight off disease-causing free radicals and reduce inflammation in our bodies. I recommend a diet that is 80% plant-based and filled with a variety of different plant foods. Another reason I recommend filling up on plants? They are on the alkaline pH scale, and alkalizing foods help balance the pH of the body, which tends to get acidic if we eat too much sugar, refined carbs, and meat. Alkalinity goes hand in hand with oxygen, and cancer cells don’t like oxygen.

Advertisement

In order to take advantage of the cancer-fighting effects of food, these changes have to be incorporated into your lifestyle for the long run. You can’t just eat more salads for one week and then revert to processed, refined foods. Your grocery cart should be loaded with whole, fresh foods every week. There are many ways to get your greens in — be it smoothies, salads, or stir-fries — and I’m here to keep you on the right track to improving your health. Remember, how you heal anything is how you heal everything.

People who regularly eat these 7 foods are less likely to develop cancer:

1. Broccoli

cancer prevention by eating broccoli Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels

Broccoli is in the cruciferous vegetable family and has high amounts of antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory, and cell-detox properties. Broccoli contains powerful compounds, including glucosinolates, indole-3-carbinol, and sulforaphane, that inhibit cancer growth.

One study found that sulforaphane, a compound in broccoli, was shown to block a defective gene associated with breast cancer tumor growth. Sulforaphane boosts the body’s protective enzymes and targets cells that aid in tumor growth. To get the best nutrients from broccoli, don’t overcook it. I steam my broccoli for 2-4 minutes and enjoy it either as a side dish or as part of my meal. You can also throw a few florets in the blender with your smoothie.

RELATED: 6 Health Benefits Of Vitamin D & How Much You Really Need

Advertisement

2. Tomatoes

cancer prevention by eating tomatoes AS Photography

Tomatoes are the best dietary source of lycopene, which blocks the action of disease-causing free radicals. Cooked tomatoes release lycopene, and including cooked tomatoes in your diet lowers your risk of prostate, lung, and stomach cancer.

Tomatoes have enzymes that protect cells from the toxic effects of carcinogenic compounds, acting as detoxifying agents. Cooked tomatoes are fabulous in Italian food, and I add chopped fresh tomatoes to all my Italian dishes. Sauté them with garlic and olive oil, then top with freshly chopped basil for a delicious and healthy side.

RELATED: Eating This Snack May Increase Cancer Risk By 50%, According To Research

Advertisement

3. Garlic

cancer prevention by eating garlic Cats Coming / Pexels

Not only is garlic a great flavor enhancer for food, but it also contains powerful phytochemicals that halt the formation of carcinogens. Eating a diet high in garlic is linked to reduced rates of colorectal and stomach cancer.

One study found that allicin, released when raw garlic is chopped, destroyed colon cancer cells. It is thought that allicin also halts the activation of cancer-causing substances. I recommend letting raw, chopped garlic sit for about 15 minutes before using, thus allowing for the highest allicin levels. I use chopped garlic in salad dressing, stir fries, on baked salmon, and in soups- really, as often as I can.

RELATED: 22 Sensual Aphrodisiacs That Will Instantly Set The Mood

Advertisement

4. Berries

cancer prevention by eating berries Patricia Nahuelhual / Pexels

Berries, the darker the better, are packed with phytonutrients that fight cancer. Anthocyanins give berries their rich color and have also been shown to slow the growth of malignant cells. Berries are naturally high in vitamin C, which, among other things, protects the body from cell damage.

Don’t limit yourself to eating berries only when they’re in season. Sure, they taste amazing fresh, but you can use them all year long by either buying them bagged in your freezer section or by freezing them yourself. I use them all the time in smoothies or with nuts and quinoa flakes for breakfast.

RELATED: The Type Of Massage That May Prevent Cancer, According To Research

Advertisement

5. Kale

cancer prevention by eating kale Karola G / Pexels

Kale truly is a superfood that is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and powerful glucosinolates that destroy cancer enzymes. Kale contains a broad range of antioxidants to support a healthy immune system, including sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. One study found that glucosinolates affect epigenetic mechanisms and alter gene expression to wipe out carcinogenic cells.

Kale also contains omega-3 fatty acids, to tame inflammation, and chronic inflammation has been linked to cancer. I toss kale into most of my smoothies, and it’s a great way to get some greens in at breakfast. I also mix kale with other greens in salad and use it in soups, stir-fries, and sautéed.

RELATED: 6 Signs You Have A Genuinely Good Soul Even If Nobody’s Told You Lately

Advertisement

More for You:

6. Black beans

cancer prevention by eating black beans Waskyria Miranda / Pexels

Black beans have a high antioxidant content in the skin, and antioxidants are superior for cleaning up disease-causing free radicals in the body. Black beans are also high in folate, and folate helps protect against mutations in our DNA.

Folate has been shown to reduce rates of breast, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancer. Black beans contain saponins that inhibit the reproduction of cancer cells, as well as protease inhibitors that slow the division of cancer cells. Black beans are a great protein substitute if you’re vegetarian or vegan, and I toss them in with salads and combine them with fresh salsa when Mexican food is on the menu.

RELATED: 6 Things The Healthiest People Do Daily That Lazy People Never Stick With

Advertisement

7. Cabbage

cancer prevention by eating cabbage Quang Nguyen Vinh / Pexels

There are many different kinds of cabbage- green, red, savoy- and each one has different compounds that fight cancer. Cabbage is also in the cruciferous vegetable family and is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and glucosinolates. Consumption of glucosinolates has been shown to reduce cancer risk, and eating cabbage protects against bladder, breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Overcooking cabbage reduces the benefits, so make sure not to cook it for too long. Cabbage lends stir-fries a wonderful taste, and I also steam it and sprinkle it with Asian vinegar. Cabbage is also the main ingredient in coleslaw, and that makes a great side as long as you use olive oil and vinegar in place of the mayo.

RELATED: 15 High-IQ Foods To Eat To Rewire Your Brain For Happiness

Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the NY Times best-selling books The All-Day Energy Diet and The All-Day Fat-Burning Diet.

Advertisement

ENTER TO WIN!

    This will close in 0 seconds

    GET YOUR FREE PASSWORD & WATCH ALL YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES & SHOWS!

      This will close in 0 seconds

      RSS
      Follow by Email