Every Ingredient in This Easy-to-Make Soup Has Anti-Cancer Benefits (+ 4 Seasonal Swaps)

FoodWise

The authoritative researcher Professor Hiroshi Maeda (Kumamoto University) was known for his effective personalized medicine approach for cancer patients. One of his discoveries was that vegetable soup is an effective remedy against cancer.

Maeda discovered that lipid peroxides are formed when lipids oxidize and react with heme (an iron component in meat) to produce carcinogenic (cancerous) lipid peroxide radicals.

These lipid peroxide radicals get neutralized by flavonoids, polyphenols, and chlorophyll in cooked vegetables. This means the antioxidant content of vegetables has some protective effect against diseases like cancer.

Vegetables and fruits contain necessary natural compounds called phytochemicals. These compounds can resist infections due to bacteria, fungi, viruses, pollution, drugs, toxins, or injuries. The phytochemicals are also beneficial for removing carcinogenic substances from the human body. It consists of free radicals that can activate immune cells, fight cancer cells, and ensure normal body functioning.

Why Soup?

Gastrointestinal researcher Takahashi Hiroshi created an anti-cancer soup with four ingredients: cabbage, carrot, pumpkin, and onion. As he writes in the “Harvard Physician’s Standing Anti-Cancer Soup,” this is a soup of readily available vegetables and is easy to prepare.

While some presume that these vegetables may be healthier raw, cooking them with a little oil can ensure better absorption of phytochemicals. This is because the phytochemicals is many vegetables are inside the strong cell walls made of cellulose.

To get these phytochemicals, we have to break down the cell walls. As the human body cannot digest cellulose, digestion alone cannot break down the cell walls and allow us to absorb the phytochemicals.  That’s why active ingredients like phytochemicals do not get absorbed easily when you consume raw vegetables.

So, to get the best out of these vegetables, it’s important to cook them either in oil or as soup.

Vegetable soup is also beneficial for recovering strength after cancer treatment. It can further prevent cancer recurrence and keep the patient healthy for a long time. It is also recommended by the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) to eat more vegetables, fruit, and whole grain to prevent cancer risk.

Besides cancer, vegetable soup can also prevent infection, inflammation, and age spots. It can manage chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, and improve conditions like cataracts and atopic dermatitis.

Vegetable Soups Help Eliminate Cancer-Aiding Reactive Oxygen Species, Chemo Side Effects

Along with the phytochemicals, vegetables have several dietary fibers, vitamins, and minerals to prevent or potentially treat cancer. All of them serve as a superfood against cancer:

Cancer can occur when healthy cells are attacked by reactive oxygen species. These oxygen species also participate in cancer development stages, during which malignancy occurs. So, it’s important to focus on eliminating them in the first place.

As vegetable soups are rich in antioxidants like phytochemicals, they can remove these reactive oxygen species and help prevent cancer or its growth.

When a patient undergoes cancer treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy, their body produces a lot of reactive oxygen species. These oxygen species eventually result in excessive side effects.

As vegetable soup can eliminate such reactive oxygen species, patients can get some relief from side effects during cancer treatment.

Phytochemicals Promote Detoxification

Phytochemicals can stimulate detoxification enzymes and ensure the removal of carcinogens. As vegetable soups are rich in phytochemicals, they can help with the same.

Moreover, vegetable soups are also rich in dietary fiber to keep the intestinal tract healthy. It can replace bad bacteria with good bacteria and promote better digestion. Vegetable soups can also prevent colorectal cancer by ensuring smooth excretion.

Boosting Immunity

The immune system protects the human body from outside invaders like germs, bacteria, fungi, and toxins. So, it’s important to have a healthy immune system to prevent any illness.

Intestines represent the largest compartment of the immune system. This means that as long as the intestinal environment is taken care of, intestinal immunity can be maintained too.

As vegetable soups can supply adequate dietary fiber to promote good bacteria in the intestines, they can stimulate a healthy immune system.

Easy-to-Make Anti-Cancer Vegetable Soup (With Variations)

When made with darker greens, anti-cancer vegetable soup can be a rich source of antioxidants. Similarly, vegetable varieties like tomatoes and cabbage can be effective against certain types of cancer.

Also, the more stems, roots, and leaves you add to the soup, the more delicious and healthy a soup you have on the table.

As mentioned earlier, it takes four ingredients to make the anti-cancer vegetable soup: cabbage, carrot, pumpkin, and onion. The combination of all these super vegetables has amazing health benefits for cancer and overall well-being. Eating this soup once in the morning and evening can detoxify the body and remove oil/grease.

Also, if these vegetables are not available, you can try their seasonal alternatives:

In the book by Hiroshi Maeda, he classifies the vegetables (for soups) as per the four seasons. These vegetables can either be smashed and made into a soup or consumed as is.

4 Seasonal Swaps "The strongest vegetable soup (global authority of anticancer agents is directly communicated!" by Hiroshi Maeda/マキノ出版

For example, in the spring, you can make soup with watercress and komatsuna in it. As these vegetables are seasonal vegetables, they can offer an adequate amount of antioxidants to ensure good health.  Komatsuna is known as spinach mustard and can be substituted with kale.

Meanwhile, for summer, you can try tomato soups. Tomatoes are high in essential nutrients, so it will be worth trying soups made with ripe summer tomatoes.

For autumn, soups with lotus root and sweet potatoes are a must-try. These vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and trace elements that are beneficial for the human body.

Lastly, for winter, vegetables like daikon and broccoli make a great choice. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables with a greater abundance of calcium, zinc, selenium, folate, and vitamins. When consumed in winter, its micronutrients can also fight bacteria/viruses that are common during the season.

Daikon is a low-calorie and high-fiber vegetable with rich plant compounds to protect people against several health conditions, including certain types of cancers.

If lotus root or daikon are not available to you, you can use other root vegetables like turnip, salsify, and parsnip, although the taste will be milder.

Takahashi Hiroshi found in his observation that regularly vegetable soup was helpful in recovering from types of cancers that had only a 30 percent chance of recovery. Additionally, these soups help with recovery from other ailments like diabetes, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, aging, and more.

Consuming vegetable soups with the above-mentioned (or seasonal vegetables) can provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to lead a healthy life. The phytochemicals in these vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of cancers and other diseases. We can consume cooked or souped vegetables often, if not regularly, to ensure a nutrient-rich and healthy diet.

Recipe

Servings: 4 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• ¼ Onion / 45 g
• 1 medium Carrot / 40 g
• 1 medium Shallot / 10 g
• 1 stick Celery / 25 g
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil  / 15 ml
• 2 cloves Garlic 
• 3.5 oz Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes / 100g
• 1/10 head Cabbage, cut into large pieces / 80 g
• 2½ cup. Water / 600 ml

Optional: 

• Salt to taste 
• Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare your onion by cutting off the ends, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice carrot, shallot, and celery. 
2. In a medium saucepan, add olive oil, onion, shallot, celery and saute until fragrant. Add pumpkin, garlic, and cabbage, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water and bring it to a boil. (Note: Adjust the amount of water to suit your tastes.)
3. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat until vegetables soften.
4. Remove from heat. Serve as is or blend soup with a hand blender until smooth.