How to Use Juice for Cancer Prevention

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 450,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of cancer every year. Though this number seems to slowly be dropping thanks to early detection and awareness campaigns, it is still important to live a lifestyle that helps prevent or lower your chances of developing this deadly disease. One of the easiest ways you can start your path to prevention is through something you probably do every day--drink juice.

Things You'll Need

• Juicer
• Assorted fruits and vegetables

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Instructions

• 1

  Make your own juice at home with a juicer. You may be tempted to just buy juice at the store. However, by juicing your own juice at home, you can get more nutrients, as well as save money in the long run. Not only that, but your juice will have a much fresher flavor, and will not have the added preservatives and other chemicals that are often found in store-bought fruit juices.

• 2

  Drink juices high in carotenoids. Carotenoids are an important ingredient found in most orange fruits and vegetables (especially carrots) that give the fruit or vegetable its color, as well as work in your body as a potential blocker of cancer, especially lung cancer. Adding a carrot to your favorite juicer concoction in the mornings will ensure that you get plenty of these powerful cancer fighters in your diet.

• 3

  Drink juices with lycopene . Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that has shown some promise in preventing prostate cancer. To get this cancer fighter in your diet, drink tomato juices. The store-bought variety, as well as homemade tomato juice, provide the same amounts of lycopene to your diet. Lycopene can also be found in strawberries and watermelon.

• 4

  Drink juices that are high in fiber. A lack of fiber is one of the largest contributors to bowel cancers in both men and women. Fiber is an important part of your diet when it comes to your digestive system. Fiber helps keep your body regular, and helps to clear out excess waste in your digestive track. This allows the cells in your digestive track to stay healthy, which in turn helps ward of the cell malfunctions that cause cancer. Using any raw fruit or vegetable in your juicer with a high volume of insoluble fiber (such as apples and carrots) will increase the fiber in your diet.

• 5

  Go organic. When choosing fruits or vegetables to juice at home, look for organic products. Organic products are usually completely pesticide free, which is important when you are trying to prevent cancer. The health effects of pesticides are still being studied, but it is better to error on the safe side when it comes to your health.