Broccoli sprouts protects against UV rays

Washington, Oct 30 (UNI) Broccoli can provide effective protection against ultra-violet radiation, the most common carcinogen, a new research showed.

An extract from three-day-old broccoli sprouts rubbed on skin produces significant protection against the burns caused by ultra-violet radiation, a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has found.

Sulforaphane, an extract from the vegetable, mobilizes cellular defences which protect the skin against damage by UV radiations.

Sulforaphane apparently acts not by preventing rays from reaching the skin, but by provoking an increase in a protective enzyme produced by the skin cells. This reaction requires days to develop, but it continues to work after the substance is washed off.

Experimenting with six volunteers of both sexes and exposing them to ultraviolet light, the skin redness was measured with a chromometer at spots covered with sulforaphane and at uncovered spots.

Depending on the dose, sulforaphane reduced burns up to 83 per cent compared with similarly exposed bare skin.

The scientists theorize that differences in responses among individuals may be attributable to genetic variations.

Paul Talalay, the lead author of the study and a pharmacology professor at Johns Hopkins, claimed that no one should consider rubbing on broccoli and going out to sunbathe, making no medical claims for broccoli sprouts.

Professor Talalay concluded, that the significance, while demonstrating in humans can protect against what is probably the most common human carcinogen, ultraviolet light. It implies that other human organs might be protected by stimulating other cells with the same compound, he added.

UNI