the world. The Philippines had the highest incidence of breast cancer among Asian countries and ranked ninth highest in the world in 2019. Risk factors and development of breast cancer can be genetic or lifestyle related. Treatment is multi-disciplinary. It does not only involve medical and surgical treatments, but also nutrition and fitness, which also play vital roles in preventing and healing.
When it comes to nutrition, getting a balanced diet may be sufficient to provide fuel for the body, as well as vitamins and minerals. Cancer, however, is not an ordinary disease. We need food that will boost our immune system to fight cancer cells, as well as prevent proliferation of abnormal cells. We also need to protect healthy cells, which are often destroyed or affected by treatments.
We need phytochemicals, also known as phytonutrients or plant chemicals, to reduce inflammation, fight infection, arrest growth of cancer cells, and support immunity. After all, cancer is caused by a weakened immune system. Phytonutrients are found in plant food only, such as fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, and seeds. Food that has health benefits beyond basic nutrition is called functional food, which isn’t hard to find. In fact, some functional food items are so common they can be found in your pantry and kitchen. Here are some super food items you can safely consume even during breast cancer treatment.
There are so many plant food sources that provide phytonutrients to keep the immune system healthy and help fight cancer while protecting healthy cells during treatment. It is important to think of food as medicine. Have a predominantly plant-based diet in order to get those powerful phytonutrients.