Is it better to get nutrients from food or supplements to fight cancer?

You know that eating the right foods helps reduce the risk of many health problems. So when do you get nutrients to prevent cancer? When do you get them from food and when do you visit the health store for supplements? Should you drink more orange juice or just take a vitamin C supplement? The easy answer is to take the pill, right? In some cases, that's right-it's been shown that the supplement form of a nutrient is powerful and is better absorbed than in foods.

But don't be misled to think that it's always better to down pills than down vegetables. Orange juice, for example, has more nutrients in it than just vitamin C. And foods don't just have a biochemical importance; they create a kind of energy force in your body. It may be quite possible that it's not one nutrient that helps prevent cancer or reduce heart disease, but rather the combination of several ingredients that does it-and that's the kind of nutritional power you only find in the way nature makes food.

Studies suggest it is better to get nutrients from food to reduce the risk of developing cancer and for cancer survivors. Whole foods contain carbohydrates, protein, and fat that provide energy. Whole foods also contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have been shown to protect against cancer in lab studies. Studies have also shown correlations between some phytochemicals and cancer risk reduction. There may be as many as 100 phytochemicals in a single tomato. These phytochemicals along with the other nutrients in foods appear to work together to keep cells healthy. Providing these nutrients and/or phytochemicals in a supplement form often does not produce the same benefits.

Supplements may benefit some individuals in addition to a healthy diet of whole foods. Vitamin D for example is a nutrient that many people do not get enough of from food and therefore need take a supplement.