7 (easy to find) foods that may help ward off cancer

A bowl full of bright green steamed broccoli. You say either "Yum!" or "Where's the double cheeseburger?" However, you know the broccoli is good for you, especially sans melted cheese. The question is, how good? And more to the point, can it - or any food - help ward off disease such as cancer?

The answer is some studies suggest certain foods may be linked to protection against cancer, though no one is yet able to say one food or another can stop cancer. Still, a body of research suggests an overall healthy diet filled with colourful fruits and vegetables is the key to avoiding heart disease, diabetes and possibly cancer, too. The NHS says: "Fruit and veg are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre that can help reduce the risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease."

In fact, scientists know more about what not to eat - processed meats, salty foods, sugary drinks, huge helpings of red meat - than which fruits and vegetables to pile on your plate. However, they do know those foods matter.

A comprehensive review of thousands of studies on diet, physical activity and weight conducted for the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research pointed to the benefits of eating mostly foods of plant origin. Foods such as broccoli, berries and garlic showed some of the strongest links to cancer prevention.

They're low in calories and fat and power-packed with phyto-chemicals and antioxidants that may help reduce your cancer risk.

For instance, studies have shown that blueberries rank very high in antioxidant activity.

However, the British Heart Foundation cautions: "We still don’t fully understand why, or whether certain fruits and vegetables are better than others," and suggests eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet.

Antioxidants, phyto-chemicals and cancer

You've heard of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, lycopene and beta-carotene, which are in many fruits and vegetables. Studies suggest that people who eat meals that are rich in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of cancer. The British Dietetic Association says some phytochemicals such as flavonoids, glucosinolate and phyto-oestrogens "act as antioxidants, which may reduce damage to cell DNA and cell membranes. Other phytochemicals are thought to influence the activation of carcinogens (cancer causing agents), or increase the level of protective liver enzymes." Phyto-chemicals also seem to protect cells from harmful compounds in food and in the environment, as well as prevent cell damage and mutations, says Dr Jed Fahey, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, who studies how cruciferous vegetables help protect against disease.

A diet that could ward off cancer really doesn't look that different from the healthy foods you should be eating anyway, says Dr Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a professor of behavioural science at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the US. That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and lean meat or fish.

Weight is important too. Keep the scale at a healthy number and shed some pounds if needed. "Everybody knows overweight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease and diabetes," says Dr Arthur Schatzkin, head of the nutritional epidemiology branch and senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute. "It's now clear [both are] a major risk factor for breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer - a lot of them."

So what foods should you load up on to give your body the best chance of warding off cancer? We scrutinised research, sometimes conflicting, to tease out some foods you'll want to eat plenty of, starting right now.