The New Cancer-Fighting Superfoods

Having trouble eating your five to nine servings of fruit and veggies a day? This may motivate you: If we all got our daily dose, there could be 200,000 fewer deaths from cancer every year. Fortunately, you aren't limited to a lifetime of broccoli. These six fruits and veggies offer just as much powerful protection for your breasts and the rest of your body—and they'll help fight diet boredom too.

Artichokes

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that artichokes had the highest antioxidant capacity of 40 vegetables and herbs tested. "Like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, artichokes are rich in flavonoids, which help slow the growth of breast and other types of cancer cells in lab studies.

Pomegranates

High in polyphenols and vitamin C (both antioxidants), this fruit helps fight breast cancer. "Dozens of lab and animal studies show that pomegranates may halt the spread and recurrence of the disease.

Bok Choy

This type of Chinese cabbage is milder then green cabbage or kale, but like those veggies, it's packed with isothiocyanates. "These sulfur compounds help your body convert some of the estrogen it make into a weaker form, which helps protect your breasts," says Karen Collins, P.D., a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research. Don't overcook bok choy; that reduces its anticancer properties.

Tomatoes

Lycopene, a strong antioxidant, is what gives tomatoes their red color. "It plays a major role in helping cells communicate, mainly by rallying healthy ones to band together and kill a "sick" cell that could become cancerous," says Steven Pratt, M.D., the author of SuperHealth. But keep in mind that your body better absorbs lycopene from foods when they're cooked and served with a little bit of fat.

Swiss Chard

"Swap Swiss chard for spinach and you'll get similar amounts of important antioxidants-like vitamin C, bet-carotene, and lutein-which fight cell damage and strengthen your immune system," says Shin. But this dark, leafy green is less bland, so you get a flavorful boost when you add it to pasta dishes, soups, and stir-fries.

Purple Grapes

"Resveratrol, which is found in red and purple grape skins, is a plant estrogen, and getting enough of it can lower your breast cancer risk because it blocks the effects of the stronger estrogen your body makes," says Pratt. It also boosts immunity and fights cell-damaging free radicals.

Information provided by www.shape.com