Broccoli and Cauliflower Inhibit Hereditary Cancer

Filed in archive Studies , Treatment on May 21, 2006

Cruciferous vegetables- cauliflower and broccoli are abundant on sulforaphane (SFN), a compound that has previously been linked to inhibition of some cancers induced by carcinogens (external agents or substances).

Now, a new study at Rutgers focused on whether SFN might inhibit the occurrence of hereditary cancers and found that the natural ingredients in cauliflower and broccoli may reduce the risk of developing hereditary cancers.

"Our research has substantiated the connection between diet and cancer prevention, and it is now clear that the expression of cancer-related genes can be influenced by chemopreventive compounds in the things we eat," said Kong, a professor of pharmaceutics in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The Rutgers study published online in the journal Carcinogenesis, Ah-Ng Tony Kong and his colleagues used a mouse model for human colon cancer to demonstrate the chemopreventive power of SFN and explain how it works to thwart cancer at the biomolecular level.

There goes another reason to eat your cauliflower and broccoli. Yum.

Read more at Eurekalert.