From brittle bones to breast cancer, these foods are particularly good for preventing diseases which most affect women.
Kale to prevent brittle bones
One in three women will develop a bone fracture as a result of osteoporosis, a disease that causes your skeleton to become brittle. That’s according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa.
To keep our bones strong, our bodies need plenty of calcium. Dairy products are a good source of this essential nutrient, but dark leafy green vegetables like kale, bok choy and turnip greens score ‘superfood’ points because they’re high in calcium and vitamin K, which – along with vitamin D – are the building blocks of healthy bones.
How much is enough? Two cups of raw chopped kale contain just over 200 milligrams of calcium, which is about 20% of your daily goal.
Lentils to prevent birth defects
If you’re pregnant or planning to be sometime soon, upping your intake of folate – the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9 – reduces your risk of having a baby with neural tube defects. These are malformations of the baby’s brain, spine, or spinal cord, including anencephaly (which affects the brain and skull) and spina bifida (which affects the spine).
To be sure you’re getting enough, your doctor may recommend a folic acid supplement (folic acid is the synthetic form of folate). But, dietary sources are important, too – and not just for those planning a pregnancy.
Folate deficiency can cause anaemia, which affects women at higher rates than men. The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 22% of women of South African women were anaemic, versus just 12% of men.
Lentils are a highly concentrated source of folate. One cup (198 grams) of cooked lentils contains over 350 micrograms of folate – or 90% or your daily goal. They also offer decent amounts of iron (which, again, prevents anaemia) and plant compounds that protect against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease – both of which affect the life expectancy of South African women at disproportionately high rates.
Papaya to prevent breast cancer and cervical cancer
Papaya (or pawpaw) contains lycopene, the nutrient that gives it its bright orange colour. Several studies have shown that lycopene reduces the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer – the most prevalent cancer among South African women, according to the Cancer Association of South Africa.
Lycopene also lowers the risk of cervical cancer, a disease that affects between 22.8 and 27 per 100 000 South African women, compared to the global average of 15.8, according to a recent report from the HPV Information Centre.
Of course, no single food can prevent cancer and there are many other factors at play, including genes. But, there is evidence that including more lycopene-rich foods such as papaya into a healthy and varied diet is a sensible way to cut your risk.
Edamame beans to prevent hot flushes in menopause
Known as edamame beans when they’re young and fresh from the pod, or soya beans when they’re more mature and dried, these legumes contain isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens – plant chemicals that can have a similar effect on the body as the hormone oestrogen.
Several studies have indicated that soy isoflavones can reduce the frequency of menopausal hot flushes (or ‘hot flashes’ in the US) by over 20%. They also reduce the intensity of this unpleasant symptom of menopause by up to 26%.
However, there’s also evidence to show that isoflavanes don’t work this way for all women. To get their cooling effects in menopause, you may have to have a specific kind of gut bacteria.
But, since edamame beans are also excellent sources of protein, fibre, antioxidants and Vitamin K, they’ll boost your health even if they don’t help your hot flushes.
Blueberries to prevent type 2 diabetes
According to a recent Stats SA report, diabetes is the leading underlying cause of death for South African women, at 7.3% in 2017.
Cutting down on sugar and refined carbs significantly lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating less red meat (and especially less processed meat like vienna sausages, bacon and cold meats) and choosing healthier protein sources such as nuts, poultry or fish instead can also slash your risk by as much as 35%.
In addition to whole grains and healthy proteins, blueberries may have an impressive preventative effect. In one study, three servings of whole blueberries per week reduced the risk of diabetes by 26%, compared to just 2% for the same amount of any other fruit.
Blueberries are high in anthocyanins, an antioxidative compound that has been shown to improve glucose (or simple sugar) uptake in mice. When you’re diabetic, your body can’t control your blood sugar levels; researchers believe this compound may help your body process sugar more effectively, thus protecting against the disease.
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