5 New Cancer-Fighting Superfoods To Add To Your Diet

Having trouble eating your five to nine servings of fruit and veggies a day? This may motivate you: If we all got our daily dose, there could be 200,000 fewer deaths from cancer every year. Fortunately, you aren't limited to a lifetime of broccoli.

Sharon Liao, editor at Shape Magazine, stopped by with five fruits and veggies that offer powerful protection for your body (and they'll help fight diet boredom too!).

• Artichokes - A study showed that artichokes had the highest antioxidant capacity of 40 vegetables and herbs tested. Like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, artichokes are rich in flavonoids, which help slow the growth of breast and other types of cancer cells in lab studies.

• Swiss Chard - Swap Swiss chard for spinach and you'll get similar amounts of important antioxidants-like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and lutein-which fight cell damage and strengthen your immune system. But this dark, leafy green is less bland, so you get a flavor boost when you add it to pasta dishes, soups, and stir-fries.

• Pomegranates - High in polyphenols and vitamin C (both antioxidants), this fruit helps fight breast cancer. Dozens of studies show that pomegranates may halt the spread and recurrence of the disease.

• Bok Choy - This type of Chinese cabbage is milder than green cabbage or kale, but like those veggies, it's packed with isothiocyanates. These sulfur compounds help your body convert some of the estrogen it makes into a weaker form, which helps protect your breasts. . Don't overcook bok choy; that reduces its anticancer properties.

• Tomatoes - Lycopene, a strong antioxidant, is what gives tomatoes their red color. It plays a major role in helping cells communicate, mainly by rallying healthy ones to band together and kill a 'sick' cell that could become cancerous. But keep in mind that your body better absorbs lycopene from foods when they're cooked and served with a little bit of oil or fat.

For more on these cancer-fighting fruits and veggies and the latest in health and fitness check out the November issue of Shape Magazine on news stands now or visit www.shape.com.