One of the interesting things about dealing with cancer naturally as opposed to conventionally is the fact that there are myriad ways to go about doing it. Physiologically speaking, one treatment might work better for one person, while another fares better for someone else − and the type of cancer involved also makes a huge difference. But the one element that nearly all natural treatments seem to have in common is diet, which is why it’s important to learn which foods exacerbate cancer and which foods help keep it at bay.
Throughout my journeys, I’ve uncovered many exotic foods from around the world (including right here in the U.S.), that science has shown possess powerful anti-cancer properties. Many of these foods are fruits that, in my opinion, everyone should be eating on a regular basis as part of a holistic, cancer-preventative lifestyle. And among these, a select few cream-of-the-crop contenders stand out as being the world’s most viable for preventing and treating cancer.
Here are one of five of the top healthy fruits to include in your anti-cancer diet…
1 Soursop Fruit (Graviola)
This tropical, spiny green “superfruit” is a prized species of the Annona plant genus. It boasts a dense array of phytonutrients and antioxidants that studies show are highly effective at destroying cancer cells and warding off chronic disease. Soursop is rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.
Annona muricata is known to help prevent infections, minimize inflammation, protect eyesight, and quell digestive upset, among many other beneficial uses in maintaining health.
Where soursop really shines, though, is in the cancer department. Peer-reviewed science suggests that the flesh of this Central and South American staple fruit helps suppress oncogenes. These, due to their expression in both cell and animal models of cancer, are commonly referred to as “cancer-causing genes.” A 2011 study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer found that an oncogene known as epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, that’s commonly over-expressed in breast cancer is an ideal target for treatment with soursop.
Other studies have similarly identified anti-cancer potential in soursop seeds, which contain various compounds that are selectively cytotoxic. This means they target cancerous and other malignant cells for destruction while leaving healthy cells unscathed. Research published in the Journal of Natural Products found that one of these compounds, known as “Compound 1,” is selectively cytotoxic to colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29), and with a potency up to 10,000 times greater than the chemotherapy drug adriamycin (doxorubicin).
Soursop is likewise rich in another class of highly potent chemotherapeutic compounds known as acetogenins. Researchers from the Tepic Institute of Technology in Mexico have procured evidence suggesting that these substances are capable of encapsulating and destroying cancer tumors. This helps back related research showing that soursop is effective at overcoming cancer cells of the prostate, breast, and liver.