Ovarian cancer generally affects older women, but it is the 10th most common type of cancer that affects women. Your diet can help prevent ovarian cancer. Here is a list of 11 foods to eat and avoid for ovarian cancer.

Eat: Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables have high levels of phytonutrients, which can help repair the damaged cells in your body. Cruciferous vegetables can lower the risk of ovarian cancer. You should include foods such as kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower in your diet.

Avoid: Sugar
Sugar is one of the foods that cause inflammation and experts recommend that you reduce or avoid sugar. For example, you should stay away from flavored yogurts, carbonated beverages, candies, and desserts, as these contain high amounts of sugar. Sugar increases the risk of cancer including ovarian cancer.

Eat: Foods rich in antioxidants
Eating foods rich in antioxidants is helpful to prevent ovarian cancer. You should include foods such as strawberries, apples, peppers, broccoli, and blueberries in your diet. Antioxidants such as flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables can help fight various types of cancers including ovarian cancer.

Avoid: Trans and saturated fats
Many studies point to the relationship between trans and saturated fats and cancer. You should avoid or limit the foods that contain trans and saturated fats. Some examples of foods that are high in trans and saturated fats include snacks that are high on sugar, margarine, and processed foods including meats.

Eat: Foods rich in selenium
Some examples of selenium-rich foods include eggs, tuna, turkey, baked beans, Brazil nuts, and shrimp. Selenium is a mineral and studies show that it can effectively decrease the risk of ovarian cancer in women. Selenium works by fighting and thereby reducing the free radicals in your body which can lower the risk of cancer.

Avoid: Animal products
Animal products are one of the foods to avoid for ovarian cancer. Although you should not stop eating all animal products, your focus should be on a plant-based diet to reduce your risk of ovarian cancer. Processed animal meats and red meat should be avoided as they have been linked to cancer.

Eat: Onions
Onions can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer because they contain various agents which can fight against cancer. Some of these agents include myricetin, apigenin, and anthocyanin. You can include any type of onion in your diet, but the more beneficial in comparison will be red onions. You can consume onions raw or cooked.

Avoid: Alcohol
The American Institute for Cancer Research states that alcohol is not good for health as it increases your risk of cancer. However, if you can’t do without it, you should have only one glass of wine a day that equals five ounces. Avoid drinking alcohol such as beer and hard liquor as they can increase your risk for ovarian cancer. 

Eat: Foods that contain lignans
Foods that contain lignans are the foods to eat for ovarian cancer. You should consume these foods because they have omega-3 fatty acids which can help prevent ovarian cancer. They contain fiber too that can help reduce the risk of obesity, which is one of the risk factors of ovarian cancer. Foods that contain lignans include berries, barley, pumpkin seeds, whole grains, and oats.

Avoid: Dietary acrylamide
Dietary acrylamide is not good for your health and it can increase the risk of ovarian cancer in women. You can find dietary acrylamide in fried foods and highly processed foods. Some examples include French fries and potato chips. You should avoid eating these foods or at least limit how much you consume.

Eat: Soy
You want to be careful when you eat soy because the benefits depend on which type of soy product you are consuming. If it is a highly-processed soy product then it can increase the risk of cancer. If you eat minimally-processed soy then it can protect against ovarian cancer, because it has an active compound called genistein.

These were the foods to eat and avoid for ovarian cancer.