While the National Institute of Cancer maintains that giving up smoking is the most beneficial health action that smokers can take to lower their risk of lung cancer, the following dietary recommendations may also offer protection against lung cancer.

1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
There is some evidence that eating a plant-based diet high in fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of developing lung cancer. Full of vitamins and nutrients that help protect cell damage and fiber that helps improve digestion and excretion of excess cholesterol and fat, plant-based foods also give you little room for foods high in sugar.

2. Sip green tea throughout the day
Green tea is a powerful antioxidant. Researchers report that a nontoxic chemical found in green tea, epigallocatechin-3 gallate, acts against urokinase (an enzyme crucial for cancer growth). One cup of green tea contains 100-200 mg of this anti-tumor ingredient.

3. Include more tomatoes in your meals
Research confirms that the antioxidant lycopene, which is in properly cooked tomatoes, may be more powerful than beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and vitamin E in protecting against lung cancer.

4. Use olive oil
Researchers found that individuals who used 7 g or more — around ½ tbsp — in cooking, as a dressing, or along with their bread, had a reduced risk of dying of lung cancer or respiratory disease when compared with people who rarely or never consumed olive oil.

5. Eat more fish
Studies have shown that “consumption of 60 g or more of fish per day is associated with a 12% decrease in all-cause mortality related to lung cancer”. Fish contains omega 3 fatty acids and other healthy fats that may inhibit the growth of cancer cells and protect against DNA damage. At least 1-2 servings of fish per day as an alternative to red meat may help reduce the risk of lung cancer.