Loaded with phytonutrients, this triple pepper kale dip may play a role in skin cancer prevention.
I’ve been celebrating Celiac Awareness all month long, but there is another important celebration going on in May that is near and dear to my heart: Skin Cancer Awareness Month. I hope you will celebrate with me by trying some of my favorite delicious antioxidant and phytonutrient-rich recipes that may also play a role in skin cancer prevention.
As a blue-eyed blonde {ahem…with a little help from my hairdresser these days}, with a history of tanning in my late teens/the early 20s, several dysplastic moles, and one basal cell skin cancer in my not-so-distant past, skin cancer prevention is always on my mind.
With this said, I urge everyone to see your physician or dermatologist for an annual skin cancer check since both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are almost always curable with early detection, and even localized {non-spreading} melanoma, a more serious form of skin cancer, has a 98 % cure rate when treated early.
So, PLEASE, be sure and get your skin checked! And be sure to review The Skin Cancer Foundation website for more important information on risk factors, detection, and prevention of both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers.
While the research regarding nutrition and skin cancer prevention is far from conclusive, there is some evidence that foods high in antioxidants and phytonutrients, including lutein, lycopene, carotenoids, epicatechin, quercetin, and Vitamin E, have shown promise as photoprotectants in clinical, animal and cell culture studies.
In addition, two very interesting recent studies, one human and one animal, showed the potential for caffeine {or caffeine combined with exercise} to play a role in skin cancer prevention. As a coffee and tea junkie lover, I can only say more good news!
For more reading/research links:
And, now, on to the recipes…
Foods that may help prevent skin cancer: A Full Day’s Worth of {Delicious} Skin Cancer-Fighting Recipes
Rustic Bruschetta Baked Eggs for One
Key nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, lutein, lycopene, quercetin, zeaxanthin
Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta {Appetizer}
Key Nutrients: vitamin-C, vitamin-E, carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin
Lemony Kale Pasta and Pistachio Salad {Lunch/Dinner}
Key Nutrients: vitamin-A, vitamin-C, carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin
Cinnamon Almond Mocha {Dessert}
Key Nutrients: caffeine
Note: If you are sensitive to caffeine later in the day {like me}, you’ll definitely want to consume the caffeinated version earlier in the day, as I don’t want to be held accountable for keeping you up all night 🙂
For more information on nutrition and cancer research, please check out The American Institute for Cancer Research {AICR}.
Were you aware that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month? Do you know your risk factors for skin cancer? Do you eat a diet high in phytochemicals and antioxidants? Are you a coffee and tea lover like me???
