Want to Avoid Cancer? Don't Forget to Add These Foods to the Plate

JAKARTA - Maintaining a healthy diet is not only about being full, but also a long-term investment for health. One simple step you can take is to make sure your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables of various colors, especially red.

Quoted from the Mirror.co.uk page, according to guidelines from East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, eating colorful fruits and vegetables can help the body obtain various vitamins, minerals, and protective compounds that are important for health. This concept is known as 'eat a rainbow'.

Red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, red bell peppers, watermelons, and pink grapefruit contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant believed to help protect the body from certain types of cancer.

A number of studies show that lycopene can help reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially prostate cancer. The way it works is by reducing oxidative stress in the body and helping inhibit tumor cell growth.

Even so, the results of the study are still varied and lycopene should still be consumed as part of a balanced diet, not as the only solution.

Apart from red, each color in fruits and vegetables has different benefits.

- Orange (carrot, pumpkin, apricot) is rich in beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A for skin health and immunity.

- Yellow (maize, yellow bell pepper) contains carotenoids that are good for eye health.

- Green (spinach, green grapes, leafy vegetables) contain iron and essential nutrients that help prevent anemia and provide energy.

- Purple (eggplant, plum, red grapes, purple cabbage) is rich in anthocyanins which act as antioxidants and are good for maintaining cell health.

The more diverse the colors of the food on the plate, the more complete the nutrients the body gets.

The official website of the National Health Service recommends that everyone eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. This recommendation is in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which recommends a minimum consumption of 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per day to help reduce the risk of serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.

However, it should be remembered that the five portions must vary. Consuming a lot of fruit or vegetables of the same color is still counted as one type only.

There's no need to immediately change your diet drastically. Just start by adding one new color every meal. For example, tomatoes at breakfast, green vegetables at lunch, and brightly colored fruit as a snack.

Small steps like this, if done consistently, can help the body get complete nutrition while reducing the risk of various diseases, including cancer.