Eating Raw Food is the Best Defense Against Cancer (and 5 powerful protectors)

Over the years, we have been led to believe that processed meats are good for our health—after all, they are high in protein!

The reality is that processed meats, dairy products, and other highly acidic foods may sometimes cause more harm to our bodies than good due to the way they are processed.

For example, various studies have shown that eating processed meats on a daily basis can increase your risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 21%.

Why Processed Foods Are Bad

Chickens, cows, and pigs are generally kept in cages where they sit in their own filth and are fed corn-based food instead of natural grass. They are typically pumped full of steroids and antibiotics before being processed. This meat is generally preserved by adding chemicals to it, such as sodium nitrite.

Processed meat is often very high in fat and can be extremely toxic. Even processed fish sources tend to originate from haddock or young cod—these fish are generally not considered “oily” fish, so they have lower levels of the amazingly beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

In regards to dairy products, did you know that most dairy products are pasteurized and homogenized? This process literally kills beneficial bacteria, enzymes, milk proteins, and certain vitamins, including vitamins C and B12.

Processed meat and dairy products are highly acidic, and we need to reduce the amount of acidic foods we consume in our diets in order for our bodies to properly ward off diseases. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that raw vegetables are linked to the prevention of cancer.

Why Raw Food?

The term “raw food” generally means uncooked food. But in terms of fighting cancer, a raw food diet primarily focuses on consuming fruits and vegetables that are known to kill cancer cells. Naturally harvested raw foods contain large levels of enzymes, which are essential for maintaining our metabolism. Wheatgrass is a perfect example of why harvested raw goods are beneficial—it contains chlorophyll, a natural pigment, and abscisic acid, a plant hormone that has the potential to kill cancer cells.

An interesting fact: In the book The Healthy Hunzas, J.I. Rodale examined a colony of 20,000 people who lived in the Himalayas in 1938, and who primarily consumed raw foods. They were not exposed to any type of cancer, heart disease, or any other degenerative disease until Western civilization-type food was introduced to them.

Cancer-Killing Raw Foods

Here is a list of some of the top raw goods and nutrients that are beneficial in helping to fight cancer:

1. Raw carrots:

They contain vitamin E, beta carotene, and alpha carotene, making this raw food a powerful juggernaut when it comes to preventing cancer. Consuming beta-carotene is associated with a decreased risk of developing prostate cancer and colon cancer. Research shows that smokers who eat carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of developing lung cancer.

2. Raw cabbage:

It contains isothiocyanates, a chemical compound that has been proven to fight esophageal and lung cancer.

3. Whole purple grapes:

This raw food contains various types of nutrients, including resveratrol, vitamin B17, and beta-carotene, as well as caffeic and ferulic acids, known for killing cancer cells.

4. Raw pineapple:

This fruit contains bromelain and peroxidase, known for fighting tumor cells.

5. Blueberries:

They contain the nutrients ellagic acid and anthocyanins, which have been associated with killing cancer cells in the early stages.

Juicing Fruits and Veggies

By juicing your fruits and vegetables, you’ll be able to consume more cancer-killing, nutrient-rich raw foods in a shorter amount of time. Opt for a hand grinder or food processor to juice your raw foods—this will ensure that all of the nutrients are properly extracted from the skin or seeds of your fruits and veggies.

Sources:
“The importance of living raw foods for health – a short introduction,” Healing Cancer Naturally web site; http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/raw-food-treatment.html, last accessed May 22, 2015.
McDiarmid, R. “Raw food diet to fight cancer,” My Healthy Living Coach web site, October 18, 2012; http://www.myhealthylivingcoach.com/raw-food-diet-to-fight-cancer/.
Wark, C., “How I used the Raw Vegan Diet to Beat Cancer,” ChrisBeatCancer.com; http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/the-raw-vegan-diet/, last accessed May 22, 2015.

This article was republished with permission from doctorshealthpress.com.

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