Dr. Lisa Chaiken, an oncologist at Northridge Hospital, says the right foods may even help people avoid getting cancer in the first place. We want to have things in our system that will help us repair. Antioxidants are chemicals that protect us from substances that can damage our cells. The most powerful antioxidants, vitamins A, B-12, C and folate, are concentrated in fruits and vegetables. With that in mind, Chaiken and dietician Amy Wilke took CBS 2 News to the farmer's market at 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue for a look at the top 10 cancer-fighting foods.
Vegetables belonging to the cabbage family are at the top of the list.
They includes Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Next are the dark, leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard and leaf lettuce. Cultures with diets high in garlic have lower incidences of cancer, and the same is true for tomatoes. Beta carotene-rich carrots and strawberries are next on the list. A Harvard study found that strawberry lovers are 70 percent less likely to develop cancer than people who rarely eat the fruit.