5 Foods That May Help Lower Your Cancer Risk

The key thing they have in common: Tomatoes
There seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of tomatoes and tomato products (like sauce and paste) you eat and the risk of developing cancers of the lung and stomach, and possibly those of the pancreas, colon and rectum, esophagus, mouth, breast and cervix, too, according to a review of available research in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. John Erdman, PhD, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois who's studied the role tomatoes may play in reducing prostate-cancer risk in animals, says that while the antioxidant lycopene is probably the most important compound in tomatoes, "It's certainly not the only beneficial one." Erdman says studies suggest that 2 to 4 servings per week may be beneficial.