Foods to Fight Skin Cancer

wide variety of specific foods like fresh fruits, vegetables and natural whole grains have been recognized as valuable in fighting skin cancer. Due to phytochemical makeups, these types of foods best protect the body from cancer and fight back against it. Low-fat foods and high-fiber foods are the crowned champions of warding off cancer through diet. As fiber influences the intestines to move more quickly, carcinogenic toxins are not allowed to accumulate or sit for too long within vital organs. Eat these foods steadily and you'll be fighting the good fight against skin cancer.

Hot Peppers

1. Hot Peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin, which gives them their bite. In cancer cells this induces a state of apoptosis, a process also referred to as programmed cell death. Basically hot peppers induce cancer cells to commit suicide. So if you like spicy, you're in luck. If you don't, learn to like spicy and cancer cells will have a tougher time multiplying.

Nuts

2. Nuts are one of the best food sources of selenium, a vitamin that improves the efficiency with which DNA recovers following exposure to damaging free radicals. Nuts also contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which block a protein that has a natural sensitivity to carcinogens. Brazil nuts and walnuts tend to be the healthiest on this front, but all nuts contain both of these cancer-fighting nutrients.

More Fish, Less Chicken

3. Studies have found a surprising difference in how omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids influence the development of cancerous tumors in the body. In short, eat more fish (high in omega-3 fatty acids) and less chicken (high in omega-6 fatty acids). A team of scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in a study on reduced tumors found conclusive evidence of the improved effects when mice consumed more omega-3 than omega-6.

Tea with Lemon

4. Green and black tea drinkers--those who drink at least two cups a day--will have a better chance at warding off skin cancer, according to the European Journal of Cancer Prevention. Teas, which are high in antioxidants and fight the development of cancer cells, make a difference, as does that little slice of lemon, which is also high in antioxidants.

Tomatoes

5. Tomatoes are one of the only natural foods rich in lycopene, one of the strongest antioxidants available. Lycopene triggers enzymes in the body and around the cells that neutralize carcinogens and allow them to be quickly excreted from the body, especially if the diet contains a lot of fiber. Processing and turning tomatoes into sauce--marinara, ketchup--greatly increases the amount of lycopene per serving.