Despite the focus on antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins E, C and the provitamin A beta carotene which have had mixed results, naturallly occuring phytochemicals may offer significant protection from premature disease and mortality. The best evidence for fruits, vegetables and herbs' (garlic, green tea, turmeric, cayenne, cinammon, ginger) contribution to improved health and longevity can be found in population studies. These studies tend to show an inverse correlation between the amount of these substances consumed and the incidence of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, the top two causes of death in the U.S. Some of the best foods and extracts or beverages to consume include blueberries, tomatoes (esp cooked), citrus fruits, broccoli (and other cruciferous brassica group of foods), pomegranate juice, green tea, cranberries, chili powder (cayenne), ginger, and turmeric.

Over 30 years ago, President Nixon declared the "War on Cancer" thereby devoting resources toward eliminating or drastically reducing its incidence. While efforts toward these goals are laudable and have led to better and earlier detection of many types of cancer, malignancies now account for the greatest number of deaths anually, overtaking cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death of men and women in the U.S. One problem lies in the characterization of cancer as a single disease, when in fact, it is a broad collection or category of diseases. This is analogous to the term cardiovascular disease which encompasses everything from hypertension to cerebrovascular accident (stroke) to coronary heart disease. A second issue is the fact that most of the efforts to eliminate cancer have focused on diagnosis and treatement of existing cancers rather than primary prevention and secondary prevention (early detection). The emphasis on the latter is especially important when one considers that up to 70% of certain types of cancer may be lifestyle-related.

1. The Allium family- garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and shallots; phytochemicals in these foods including allicin block the ability of the liver to form carcinogens; they also reduce the formation of nitrosamines ( a class of potent carcinogens resulting from intake of dietary nitrite and nitrate from natural sources as well as a preservative added to smoked and cured meats) in the digestive tract.

2. Cruciferous Vegetables - the brassica family including broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, and turnip. These cancer foes contain indole-3-carbinol and sulphoraphane which are converted into cancer-killing enzymes in the liver.

3. Berries -(including related fruits pomegranate, cherries and purple and red grapes) blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries which are excellent sources of ellagic acid, resveratrol and anthocyanins as well as vitamin C.

4. Tea- white, green, oolong, and black. White tea contain the most antioxidants, but is not especially flavorful to drink; Green tea contains catechins, esp EGCG which has received the most attention from researchers; black tea contains more caffeine and less EGCG, but has other polyphenols which are also salutary.

5. Citrus fruits-orange, tangerine, lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Well known as good sources of vitamin C these antioxidant superstars also contain D-limonene (esp in the skin) and numerous bioflavonoids.

6. Tomato-and other sources of lycopene; tomato paste, tomato sauce, marinara sauce, stewed tomatoes, ketchup. lycopene is associated with reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer and can lower blood pressure and even provides SPF from the inside!

7. Turmeric and Ginger - and other seasonings including chili powder and cilantro. These two spices offer anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-cancer activity.

8. Flax oil, Olive oil, Fish Oil, Avocado, and Canola oil. As unlikely as it sounds, omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil come from a vegetable source; when fish eat algae the DHA becomes incorporated into their fat tissue; EPA, the other major omega 3 is made through the conversion of DHA into EPA.

9. Legumes, seeds and nuts- peanuts contain resveratrol a super antioxidant also found in red wine, grape skins, and pomegranate and confer numerous health benefits; black beans provide anthocyanins like those in blueberries; soy and other beans contain phytoestrogens which may provide some protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer;

10.Red pepper, orange-yellow fruits and vegetables -melon squash, yellow/orange pepper- the bright colors of these healthful choices come from carotenes including alpha and beta-carotene as well as lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin (found in abundance in corn and egg yolks). red peppers are a great source of vitamin C.

11. Grape-seed extract