October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Like so many of you out there, breast cancer hits close to home for many of us at Pretty Lady Grapes. Far too many of our favorite pretty ladies have battled, and even succumbed to, the terrible disease.
Growing evidence suggests that healthy diets can help prevent up to 50% of all cancers. What’s more, eating foods high in nutritional benefits are also believed to help aid cancer patients as they cope with various strains of the illness. Unfortunately, there isn’t any one superfood that can help prevent cancer entirely but scientists do believe some foods can help fight cancer more than others.
How do grapes fit into all this?
Grapes are among the foods considered healthy options in the fight against cancer. They’re a rich source of resveratrol, an antioxidant that has the potential to stop cancer from starting in breasts, liver, stomach, and lymphatic systems. It’s also shown to kill leukemic and colon cancer tumors as well. And according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, resveratrol blocked cancer in skin, breast, and leukemia patients at all three stages of the disease (initiation, promotion, and progression). Grape skin, in particular, has the most antioxidants, and while all grapes have resveratrol (it’s even found in wine!), red and purple grapes have the most cancer-fighting benefits.
Grapes are also easy on the stomach. As many of us who have fought cancer, or dealt with a loved one fighting cancer, know: chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatments can make appetites swell and shrink with seemingly no rhyme or reason at all.
If a full meal is out of the question, grapes are an easily digestible snack straight out of their package, eaten frozen, or added to simple snacks like yogurt and granola or peanut butter and toast.
Grapes have other health benefits, naturally. The following list is just a sampling of some of their many perks:
• They’re packed with nutrients, including Vitamins C and K
• They’re high in other antioxidants (including beta-carotene, quercetin, lutein, lycopene and ellagic acid)
• They may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar and reduce cholesterol
• They help protect against diabetes
• They benefit eye health
• They help improve memory and mood
As for dealing with cancer, if you or someone you love is fighting the disease and you feel overwhelmed, here are some of our favorite resources for coping with the life-altering news:
A whole list of Breast Cancer Resources can be found on the National Consortium of Breast Centers website and My Support 360.
All our Love,
The Pretty Lady Team