The Snack That Scares Away Cancer

Your liver likes it when you go shopping -- but not at Nordstrom's or Bloomie's. At the farmers market. That's because people who regularly eat fruit and yogurt (low-fat and no sugar added, of course) have a lower risk of liver cancer than people who don't indulge in these treats.

You don't hear about it much, but your liver does heroic things for you every day. Almost all of the nutrients you eat have to pass through the gantlet of the liver before moving to the heart for generalized distribution. Your liver decides what gets kept out, what gets patted down and inspected, and what's allowed to be distributed in your body. That -- plus the fact that liver cancer is one of the deadliest types -- is why it's worth giving this organ a little payola in the form of the foods it loves.

Why are fruit and yogurt such liver-happy foods? Nobody knows for sure, but the cell-protecting flavonoids that fruits are full of may be what makes them liver savers. As for yogurt, its benefits could have something to do with retinol, an animal-based form of vitamin A that's found in yogurt, milk, and eggs. Other studies have linked retinol from food to a reduced risk of liver cancer.

You don't have to eat much of either to win its protection: The cancer-lowering effects start kicking in after just half a cup of yogurt and more than 5 ounces of fruit a week -- that's the equivalent of just one peach or a cup of sliced strawberries. Swirl the yogurt and fruit together for an easy snack that's seriously healthy.