Eat broccoli, prevent breast cancer
London, Jan 2: Some good news for those who worry about Breast Cancer. As the saying goes on 'prevention is better than cure', you can prevent getting breast cancer. Eating broccoli can significantly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, say researchers.
The
leafy
vegetable
along
with
other
cruciferous
vegetables,
such
as
kale,
cauliflower
and
cabbage,
contains
chemicals
that
prevent
a
number
of
different
cancers.
However,
now
experts
have
discovered
that
the
compound
in
broccoli
can
actually
kill
breast
cancer
cells.
University of California researchers have revealed for the first time how the healing power of these vegetables works in the cells, reports the Daily Express. The study has been published in the journal Carcinogenesis.
The research, which was carried out by Leslie Wilson, professor of biochemistry and pharmacology, and Mary Ann Jordan, adjunct professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, at the university"s Santa Barbara laboratories, found that a compound in broccoli inhibits the rapid growth of tumour cells in a similar way to chemotherapy drug taxol and vincristine, a drug which kills cells that reproduce the fastest.
The
drugs
inhibit
cell
division
during
mitosis,
the
process
by
which
cells
split
apart
and
divide.
Graduate
student
Olga
Azarenko,
who
worked
on
the
project,
said:
“Breast
cancer,
the
second
leading
cause
of
cancer
deaths
in
women,
can
be
protected
against
by
eating
cruciferous
vegetables
such
as
cabbage
and
near
relatives
of
cabbage
such
as
broccoli
and
cauliflower.
“These vegetables contain compounds called isothiocyanates which we believe to be responsible for the cancer-preventive and anti-carcinogenic activities in these vegetables. Broccoli and broccoli sprouts have the highest amount of the isothiocyanates.
“Our paper focuses on the anti-cancer activity of one of these compounds, called sulforaphane, or SFN. It has already been shown to reduce the incidence and rate of chemically induced mammary tumours in animals. It inhibits the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells, leading to cell death."
ANI