Vegetables & Cancer Treatment

According to Donald Yance and Arlene Valentine, authors of "Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer," in understanding how cancer progresses, the role of vegetables in treating cancer can also be understood. During the initiation stage, the present but invisible cancer cell is vulnerable to change but can be suppressed by eating the proper vegetables.

Cruciferous Vegetables

• Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower contain the chemical indole-3-cabinol, which can fight breast cancer by changing an estrogen that promotes cancer into a more protective component.

Tapioca

• The root vegetable tapioca is produced from the cassava plant, which may help cure cancer. Tapioca produces the chemical linamarin, which expels hydrogen cyanide when broken down.

Carrots

• Carrots have an abundance of beta-carotene, which can help decrease lung, mouth, throat, breast, bladder and prostate cancer.

Sea Vegetables

• Sea vegetables such as seaweed contain beta-carotene, vitamin B12, protein and fiber--critical fatty acids that can help the body combat breast cancer. Sea vegetables often have a high degree of calcium, magnesium and iron.

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes have lycopene, a building block that combats harmful free radicals. Tomatoes also contain vitamin C, an antioxidant that can prevent the cell damage that results in cancer.