We all know that eating fruits, vegetables and soy products provides essential nutrition for a healthy lifestyle. But it’s also one of the most enjoyable ways to prevent cancer.

Cancer Information: Prevent Cancer By Eating Vegetables

Why Do Fruit Vegetables Fight Cancer?

Eating just one extra serving of fruit and vegetables a day will lower your risk of cancer, but you may not want to stop at just one when you read the cancer research.

For example, a study of over 500,000 people has found that eating more fruit and vegetables drastically reduces your risk of head and neck cancer, the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

People who eat six servings of fruit and veggies a day are at 30 per cent lower risk of developing cancer, and vegetables are especially beneficial.

The fibre found in fruit and vegetables also protects against breast cancer. (Read more: Fibre Helps Prevent Breast Cancer).

Cancer Fighting Foods: Broccoli and Soy Prevent Cancer

Researchers have discovered that two compounds found in broccoli and soy lower your breast cancer and ovarian cancer risk, as well as preventing other types of cancer too.

They found that diindolylmethane (DIM), a compound resulting from digestion of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and genistein, a major isoflavone in soy, reduce production of two proteins necessary for the spread of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

When applying DIM and genistein to cancer cells, the researchers could literally watch these cancer cells come to a near halt. Both DIM and genistein are already being developed for use as a cancer preventive and a chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

Soy is also known to prevent prostate cancer. (Read More: Soy Protects Against Prostate Cancer).

How Can I Reduce My Cancer Risk? Eating Spinach and Cabbage Cuts Cancer Risk

Several studies have found that a diet rich in flavonols helps reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer, especially for smokers. The highest concentrations of cancer-fighting flavonols are found in spinach, onions, apples, berries, kale, and broccoli.

People who eat large amounts of flavonols have a 23 per cent reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer, and smokers who eat these veggies reduce their cancer risk by a massive 59 per cent.

“The effect was largest in smokers, presumably because they are at increased pancreatic cancer risk already," said researcher Dr Ute Nöthlings. Smoking is the only established risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and short of stopping tobacco use, it has previously been difficult to find lifestyle factors that help protect against pancreatic cancer, she said.

The researchers looked at consumption of three anti-cancer flavonols: quercetin, which is most abundant in onions and apples; kaempferol, found in spinach and some cabbages; and myricetin, found mostly in red onions and berries. They found that all were effective cancer fighters, but kaempferol was associated with the largest cancer risk reduction (22 percent).

"The anti-carcinogenic effects of flavonoids have been attributed to the ability of these constituents to inhibit cell cycle, cell proliferation and oxidative stress, and to induce detoxification enzymes," Nöthlings said.

Watercress is also known for its anti-cancer properties (Read more: Watercress Prevents Cancer), and green tea is bursting with cancer-fighting antioxidants (Read more: Natural Alternatives To Boost Health).

Looking for more foods to boost your long-term health? Try mushrooms, tomatoes and apples (Read more: Seven Foods For Longevity).

Do you get your five a day? Or do you know of any other foods that fight cancer? Share your thoughts, views and experiences on cancer with other users using the Comment on this Article box below. Plus, to keep up to date with all the latest cancer health news and lots more health tips on diet, healthy eating and more, sign-up for the monthly KeeptheDoctorAway Newsletter below.