I get a newsletter from the VegHealth Institute that includes wonderful recipes and information they call Nutrition Bites. Here’s one I want to pass on to you because its practical, simple, and scores high on the nutrition charts. The folks at VegHealth call it a powerful anti-cancer drink.

This recipe is for their Homemade V8 Juice. While every component of this delicious juice provides health benefits, a few of these ingredients shine especially well in their ability to prevent and fight cancer. For instance:

Tomatoes and red bell pepper: These are at the top of every anti-cancer list because they contain high levels of the antioxidant lycopene (especially tomatoes). Years of research show that lycopene is amazing at reducing and preventing oxidative damage to DNA, lipids, and proteins.

And of course, tomatoes and red bell peppers score high in cancer prevention because they’re loaded with another antioxidant, vitamin C.

Next comes carrots: Carrots combat cancer well because they contain beta-Carotene in abundance. This nutrient is a “provitamin” of vitamin A, meaning it gets converted to vitamin A once in your body. Vitamin A is crucial for immune function, vision, maintaining organ health, and more!

And then there’s the cayenne pepper: What makes this spice a cancer-fighting warrior is an antioxidant in it called “capsaicin.” Studies from 2016 and on say capsaicin “exhibits strong anticancer activity through targeting multiple signaling pathways and cancer-associated genes in different tumor stages.” I’m not sure what all that scientific bafflegab means, but I do get the bottom line: it’s consistently powerful at protecting and healing when it comes to cancer.

And of course, there’s the celery: At just 10 calories a stalk, celery’s claim to fame may be that it’s long been considered a low-calorie “diet food.” But that doesn’t even come close to all celery has to offer. This crispy, crunchy vegetable is another loaded source of antioxidants (over 12, including vitamin C, beta carotene, and lots of flavonoids and phytonutrients). Celery reduces inflammation and supports digestion.

Finally, how about that cucumber? Talk about a nutrient-dense food! One 11-ounce, unpeeled cucumber contains 14% RDI of vitamin C, 62% of the RDI of vitamin K, 10% of the RDI of magnesium, 13% of the RDI of potassium, and 12% of the RDI of manganese. While we’ll likely not remember these numbers, just know that they’re impressive and validate why cucumbers ought to always be included in the daily diet. They’re humble health-protectors.

With that exciting and fascinating information in mind, please enjoy this tasty recipe from the folks at VegHealth. The informal taste-testers in my home and neighborhood say they like it much more than the store-bought stuff.

The VegHealth folks mentioned that if you like more “body” to your juice or you don’t have a juicer, you can blend everything in a Vitamix, Blendtec, or other or high-speed blender. Doing so will retain the fiber from the ingredients, which is yet another cancer-fighting nutrient! See if you don’t think this is one tasty recipe for health.

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