Joel Fuhrman MD

We usually think of brightly colored vegetables as the ones having the most health-promoting properties – since antioxidants are pigments, and deeply colored plant foods like blueberries are extremely rich in these beneficial pigments. Mushrooms may not be so beautifully colored, but they certainly contain plenty of valuable phytochemicals. Mushrooms support the immune system Mushrooms contain certain molecules that are thought to fight infections and even cancers by stimulating immune cells.(1, 2) Mushrooms are unique in their breast cancer preventing (anti-aromatase) effects Frequent consumption of mushrooms (approximately 1 button mushroom per day) has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer by 60-70%.(3) Mushrooms are thought to protect against breast cancer particularly because they inhibit an enzyme called aromatase, ... Continue

The Allium family of vegetables, which includes onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and scallions, are rich in flavonoids and phenols, which have anti-inflammatory properties and are protective against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. White onions are not as nutritious as yellow and red, and shallots have the most polyphenols of the whole group. Flavonoids are a class of antioxidant molecules with subcategories including isoflavones, flavonols, catechins, and anthocyanins among others. All of these flavonoids have been attributed health-promoting properties. Red onions contain at least 25 different anthocyanins, and the predominant flavonoid in all onions is quercetin. Quercetin slows tumor development, suppresses growth and proliferation and causes cell death in colon cancer cells. In short, flavonoids such as quercetin can contribute to ... Continue

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S., and doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke.1 However, type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease – our food choices can either prevent or promote insulin resistance and resultant diabetes. Many conventional diabetes diets rely on meat or grains as the major calorie source. However, these strategies have serious drawbacks (read more on Diseaseproof.com). High-nutrient, low glycemic load (GL) foods are the optimal foods for diabetics, and these foods also help to prevent diabetes in the first place: Leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables: Green and non-starchy vegetables have almost nonexistent effects on blood glucose, and are packed with fiber and phytochemicals. A recent meta-analysis found that greater leafy ... Continue

Colon cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the United States, and it is the 2nd most deadly cancer.  Proper nutrition can dramatically cut colon cancer risk. Numerous studies have found beans to significantly decrease the risk of colon cancer. A six year study tracking over 32,000 individuals found that those who ate beans, peas, or lentils only twice a week decreased their risk of colon cancer by 50%.  If they cut their chance of colon cancer in half by eating beans twice a week, imagine the benefit of eating beans daily! Beans’ unique composition makes them a dietary wonder. Beans are rich in fiber and resistant starch and are not broken down by enzymes in the small intestine. ... Continue

  Being overweight is not harmless – excess fat is the major factor responsible for insulin resistance and resultant type 2 diabetes, and a risk factor for a plethora of conditions including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, high cholesterol, liver disease, gallbladder disease, respiratory problems, arthritis, and infertility. Obesity is thought to be responsible for over 100,000 new cancer cases each year in the U.S. alone, and both overweight and obesity are associated with a greater risk of death from all causes.   Recent findings in the field of obesity research have given us two more reasons to keep one’s weight in check: Excess weight may restrict blood flow to certain areas of the brain, impairing brain function and possibly fueling ... Continue

  Over 5,000 different flavonoid antioxidants have been identified, many of these in commonly consumed plant foods – there are many different types of flavonoids:   Flavanols are the most common, and are abundant in onions, kale, leeks, broccoli, apples, blueberries, red wine, and tea. Less common are the flavones, which are found in celery and parsley. Citrus fruits have high levels of flavanones. Flavan-3-ols, which include catechins, are found in grapes, tea, and cocoa. Soybeans contain isoflavones. Anthocyanins (derivatives of anthocyanidins) are potent antioxidants and pigments that color red, blue, and purple foods like berries, grapes, currants, blood oranges, eggplant, red cabbage, red onions, and some beans and grains (1).   In addition to their antioxidant capacity, flavonoids may ... Continue

Nuts and seeds are healthy, natural foods that are full of beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals. The myth that nuts and seeds are fattening and therefore unhealthy has persisted, but according to scientists, nuts are beneficial for weight loss. In any case, it’s not the fat content of a diet that makes it healthy, it’s the nutrient content. And based on their nutrient content, nuts are a health-promoting source of calories. Nuts and seeds are nutrient dense. Nuts and seeds contain a spectrum of micronutrients including LDL-lowering phytosterols, circulation-promoting arginine, minerals – potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and antioxidants including flavanoids, resveratrol, tocopherols (vitamin E), and carotenoids. Nuts and seeds contain healthy fats High fat diets are associated with disease risk, but ... Continue

Nutrition scientists have shown over and over that people who eat more natural plant foods – vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc. – are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer. But are all vegetables equally protective? If we wanted to design an anti-cancer diet, we would want to know which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects – then we could eat plenty of these foods each day, flooding our bodies with the protective substances contained within them. So, which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects? Cruciferous vegetables. This family of vegetables is named for their flowers, having four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross, from the Latin word ‘crucifer’ meaning ‘cross-bearer’. These are the cruciferous vegetables: ... Continue