Grocery Shopping for Those With Ovarian Cancer
Your best friends when you have ovarian cancer are fruits and vegetables. That doesn’t mean you won’t eat anything else in your diet, but it does mean you will increase your consumption of them. Fruits and vegetables are packed full of medicinal compounds that have the ability to restore health.
Consider loading some of the following into your trolley:
- Carrots – Grab a 10-pound bag of carrots, as they are one of the best veggies you can eat if you have ovarian cancer. Carrots, sweet potatoes and orange and red peppers all contain carotenoids, which are antioxidants that protect against cell damage. If you're juicing, one pound of carrots is needed to make one cup of carrot juice.
- Berries – Raspberries, blueberries and cranberries are all considered superfoods that protect against cancer and may even help combat certain types of cancer. Cranberries are especially good for women with ovarian cancer – studies have shown that a compound in cranberries makes cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Interestingly, raspberry tea has been used for decades for women with PMS or other menstrual troubles. You could even grow some of these berries in your garden.
- Greens – You’ll need plenty of greens like broccoli, kale, spinach and cabbage. They're packed full of antioxidants called flavonoids as well as vitamin B and folate. Just remember that if you're juicing they can easily get stuck in the juicer and you may need to push them through with a carrot or celery stick.
- Tomatoes – Studies have shown that lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, lowers the risk of several cancers, and they're fantastic for juicing!
- Lemons – Lemons are full of vitamin C, which you probably know boosts the immune system. But did you know vitamin C can also help protect you from free radicals? Lemons are also full of limonoids, compounds that one study has shown to inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells.
- Ginger – Ginger has long been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, and recent research has shown that ginger powder kills any ovarian cancer cells it comes in contact with. While further research is needed for scientists to fully understand the reaction, it certainly can't hurt to include ginger in your diet. Ginger is also great for nausea.
You can use all of these foods in your next healthy salad for a delicious and healing meal.
More Foods to Add to Your Ovarian Cancer Diet
The above foods are excellent because not only are they fruits and vegetables, but much of them are yellow and cruciferous, as was identified in the research study as being the most beneficial. MD Anderson noted that the foods below are also beneficial for preventing cancers unique to women.
- Coffee – Women who consume coffee are 25 percent less likely to develop uterine coffee, as well as other types of female-specific cancers. Why? Coffee contains compounds that alter the way the body uses hormones such as estrogen and insulin.
- Garlic – Garlic contains manganese, vitamins B6 and C, and selenium, which are thought to fight off various types of cancers.
- Grapes – Grapes contain resveratrol, which can block the formation of different types of cancers. Red and purple grapes contain more resveratrol than green grapes, as do the skins of the grapes.
- Onions – Onions contain quercetin, which is known to fight inflammation in the body.
Incorporating a diet with all of the above foods could fight ovarian cancer, from the inside-out.
