We all want to live long and be healthy. Unfortunately, cancer can interfere with this. Reducing your risk of cancer may include three options: preventive screenings to detect cancer early, vaccines that can prevent certain types of cancer, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke, protecting your skin from ultraviolet radiation, and losing weight. Your diet also plays an important role. So, what should you eat to avoid cancer?
ContentWhat to eat to avoid cancer: sourdough breadOther unique benefits of sourdough bread
Some foods may help prevent cancer, such as avocados, MCT oil, and whey protein. What about carbohydrates? MD Anderson Cancer Center says phytochemicals found in berries, broccoli and tomatoes help your body fight cancer. An unexpected carbohydrate that may help fight cancer is sourdough bread. Because it has more antioxidants than other breads. Here's what WomanEL found out about this.
What you should eat to avoid cancer: sourdough bread
Sourdough bread is healthier because it is prepared differently than traditional bread. While you don't need store-bought yeast like traditional bread, sourdough requires a starter made from flour, salt and water. This combination needs to ferment for several days to activate natural yeast and beneficial bacteria.
Your body's cells can be damaged if they have too many free radicals, and free radical damage has been linked to cancer. Antioxidants cleanse your body to neutralize these free radicals. The US National Cancer Institute reports that observational studies have found mixed evidence that antioxidants reduce cancer risk.
Although unfermented whole grains contain antioxidants such as tocols, phytosterols and phenolic compounds, it is this natural fermentation process of sourdough bread that increases its nutritional value, according to a 2020 article in Molecules. Fermentation breaks down the cell walls of whole grains to make these antioxidants more available to our bodies for absorption.
According to a 2012 study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, lactic acid bacteria used to ferment wheat, soy, barley, amaranth and rye flours may also produce more of the peptide lunasin. Lunasin has been used to treat cancer, high cholesterol and rheumatoid arthritis.
Other Unique Benefits of Sourdough Bread
The health benefits of sourdough bread, Source: freepik.com
Although there is no clinical evidence that sourdough bread definitely reduces the risk of cancer, sourdough bread has other health benefits that are unique compared to other types of bread, according to a 2023 review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. While French bread, whole wheat and white bread have a glycemic index of over 70, sourdough rye has a glycemic index of 53, which is lower than sweet potatoes. This means that sourdough bread is less likely to cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Sourdough is also associated with lower insulin levels.
Resistant starch feeds bacteria in the gut, and its byproduct is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that reduces inflammation and supports the immune system. Depending on the baking procedure and fermentation process, sourdough breads tend to contain slightly more resistant starch than other breads. Sourdough also has a lower pH than other breads, which means it contains less phytates. Phytate is a plant compound that binds to minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron, so your body can't absorb these nutrients.
While we know a lot about healthy foods, some of them don't deserve the hype . Here is a list of overrated ones.
