Dr Oz: Cactus Pear, Aloe Drink & Bottarga Prevent Cancer

Andrew Zimmern’s Cancer Fighters

Dr Oz brought Andrew Zimmern back on his show to talk about bizarre Cancer Fighters from around the world (click here to read a recap of another segment that Doctor Oz did with Zimmern: Dr Oz Bizarre Foods).  What do an Aloe Drink, Bottarga, Cactus Pears and Walnuts all have in common?  They help prevent Cancer!  Here is what Dr Oz and Zimmern said about these Cancer Fighting Foods!

Dr Oz: Aloe Drink Fights Leukemia

Andrew Zimmern’s first Cancer Fighter was aloe.  Whenever I burned myself as a child, I remember my mother running to an aloe plant growing on our windowsill to crack off a leaf and to spread the aloe on my burn.  Everyone thinks of aloe when they think of burns or sunburns to treat our skin.  However, people have also been consuming aloe for a long time.  Aloe Drinks have become popular recently, but you can also make your own Aloe Drink by running a paring knife up the side of an Aloe Leaf and removing the pulp.  You just need to add about 1 TB of aloe to your diet every day.  However, Dr Oz and his guest seemed to think that the Aloe was bitter, so it may be best to add it to a smoothie.  Zimmern said that Aloe really is a miracle food, and if it can take away sunburn from your skin, think about what it does for inflammation in your body.  Doctor Oz said that the commercially available Aloe Drinks taste better (though I bet that is because they add a bunch of sugar or sweeteners!).  Plus, drinking Aloe helps to slow the growth of Leukemia Cells, how many other drinks can claim to have this same benefit?

Dr Oz: Bottarga Fights Colon Cancer

Andrew Zimmern’s next Cancer Fighter was Bottarga, which is  a salted and cured form of fish eggs that comes from Sardinia.  You can grate up Bottarga instead of Parmesan Cheese and serve it over pasta, salads, or any place that grated cheese would work.  Dr Oz said that Bottarga reduces the growth of Colon Cancer, plus it is a great alternative to Parmesan for people who are lactose intolerant.

Dr Oz: Cactus Pear Fights Cancer

Andrew Zimmern’s last Cancer Fighter was Cactus Pear, which has been popping up in markets everywhere and usually comes from Arizona.  You simply cut into the fruit and remove the rind.  The inside of a Cactus Pear is a bright red color and there are a bunch of seeds inside, which Zimmern said you can eat or spit out.  You can also get Cactus Pear Jelly as another form of this fruit.  Or you can add Cactus Pear to your smoothies, salad or even to your salad dressing.  Dr Oz said that Cactus Pear helps to slow down the growth of Ovarian Cancer Cells, Cervical Cancer Cells and Bladder Cancer Cells.

Dr Oz: Walnuts Prevent Cancer

Dr Oz said that his final Cancer Fighting Food is walnuts, but even though Andrew Zimmern will eat all kinds of bizarre foods, he said he refuses to eat walnuts because he hates the taste!  I cannot imagine someone hating walnuts!  But Doctor Oz said that walnuts have more antioxidants than any other nut and may even help to fight off Cancer Cells!