Lester Pike (Ph.D. in microbiology and biochemistry from Yale University), Carlo Coleman Garlic and onions - low in calories, contain anti-cancer phytobiochemicals Garlic and onions are both members of the Allium genus, a member of this family Also included are leeks and green onions. Long before the emergence of modern science, doctors had long recognized the therapeutic qualities of allium plants, especially garlic and onions. Although garlic is mainly used as a flavoring, it has also been regarded as a powerful medicine. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates once reported his experience using garlic smoke to treat uterine cancer. Dioscorides, a doctor in the first century AD, once wrote that garlic "clears the arteries and opens the mouths of the veins." In the Middle Ages, monks chewed garlic cloves to protect themselves against the plague. Modern scientists have proven that garlic is really a medicine chest containing various therapeutic compounds. It is rich in selenium and provides several enzymes that influence the antioxidant network, including glutathione peroxidase. Garlic is also a heart-healthy herb. Garlic contains ajoene, a compound that prevents blood clots. In addition, garlic is also a rich source of sulfide, which has natural antibiotic and antibacterial properties. During World War II, garlic was called "Russian penicillin" because the Russian army used it to fight infections on the battlefield. Hippocrates apparently knew garlic could be a powerful anti-cancer agent, but our modern scientists are just beginning to discover it. Various compounds in garlic have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer tumors in test tube and animal tests. German researchers have shown that garlic extract can prevent DNA links from breaking due to free radical damage, which may cause cancerous lesions in cells. Garlic can also hinder the growth of existing tumors. When researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center in New York added S-allylmercaptocysteine, a sulfide extracted from old garlic, to prostate cancer cells exposed on a petri dish. Finally, it actually significantly slowed down the growth of cancer cells. In particular, researchers have also found that garlic has a very positive effect on male hormones. Prostate cancer cells are particularly sensitive to dihydrotestosterone, the active metabolite of the male hormone testosterone, which can promote the growth of prostate tumors. However, whenever exposed to S-allylmercaptocysteine, prostate cancer cells accelerate the breakdown of testosterone at two to four times the normal rate without producing potentially dangerous dihydrotestosterone. I'm not trying to tell you that garlic can cure cancer, but I'm trying to say that adding more garlic to your diet and cooking with it won't do any harm. Onions, a relative of garlic, are another disease-fighting food. Onions first attracted current scientific attention after a 1989 Chinese study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It is pointed out that people who eat the most onions and allium vegetables have the lowest rates of gastric cancer. In this study, researchers compared the eating habits of 564 gastric cancer patients with 1,131 normal people. They were surprised to find that the main difference between the two groups was that the cancer-free group ate more allium vegetables in their diet. Onions contain many anti-cancer compounds. In particular, onions are a rich source of the flavonoid quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant that has been shown in test tube studies to block a variety of natural and synthetic triggers and promoters of cancer cell formation. Quercetin is also an important natural anti-inflammatory substance with antibacterial, bacteriostatic and antiviral effects. Onions are also an excellent source of selenium. Selenium is a mineral that has been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers and strokes. No phytochemical meal is complete without a serving or two of fresh green fruits and vegetables. I'm not talking about pale, iceberg-white romaine lettuce that barely qualifies as a green vegetable, I'm talking about actual green—emerald green leafy vegetables. In North America, leafy greens are used for little more than garnishing the dinner plate. That's bad, because many green vegetables contain important vitamins (like C and E), minerals (like calcium) and many disease-fighting antioxidants. For example, beet greens, cress, green leafy kale, mustard greens, and Swiss chard (all cruciferous vegetables) are the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which can prevent macular degeneration. , is also a good source of beta carotene. Beta carotene can fight cancer. All green vegetables contain antioxidant flavonoids and antioxidants, which can lower cholesterol, and may contain many more important compounds that we have not yet identified. Green vegetables are low in calories but high in fiber. To fully enjoy the benefits of green vegetables, it is best to mix a variety of green vegetables, lightly steam them and eat them.

You can also steam green vegetables in the microwave, which helps preserve the phytochemicals in the vegetables.

This article is excerpted from "The Miracle of Antioxidants (Best-Selling Revised Edition)" / Lester Packer (Ph.D. in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Yale University), Carol Colman / Raw Water