If you haven't tried adding red papaya to your diet, here's a reason to start: this succulent fruit is one of the few foods that contains lycopene, a nutrient that studies show is remarkably effective at both preventing and combating the spread of cancer. Lycopene spurs your body’s cancer-fighting defenses at the cellular level. It also prevents the DNA and lipid damage that allows cancer to spread.

This compound is also found in other fruits and veggies: tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and blood oranges. All these have a red-hued flesh, which is characteristic of lycopene-rich foods. However, the red papaya stands above the rest since its also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and folate.