Anti-Toxin, Cancer-Fighting Veggies

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The Remarkable Anti-Toxin, Cancer-Fighting Power of

Cruciferous Vegetables

by SixWise.com

 

While cruciferous vegetables--broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,

cabbage, collard greens and more--may be top on the list of veggies kids

loathe, when it comes to nutrition, these vegetables are definitely on the

A-list.

 

What makes them so incredibly healthy is their potent cancer-fighting

compounds, which help detoxify carcinogens in the body and may prevent

healthy cells from morphing into cancerous ones.

Not a fan of this cruciferous vegetable? Check out the tips at the end

of this article.

 

More Crucifers Please

 

The health benefits of these vegetables seem to have been known for some

time. Around 234-149 BC, Cato the Elder, a Roman statesman, wrote a

treatise on medicine that included the following insight:

 

" If a cancerous ulcer appears upon the breasts, apply a crushed cabbage

leaf and it will make it well. "

 

If cabbage isn't your favorite, don't worry. There are many other

cruciferous vegetables out there, and one's bound to taste good to you.

Today these vegetables have been found to combat cancer of the of

breast, endometrium, lung, colon, liver, colon and cervix, and include:

•Broccoli •Brussels sprouts •Cabbage •Cauliflower •Collard greens •Kale

•Kohlrabi •Mustard greens •Rutabaga

•Turnips •Bok choy •Chinese cabbage •Arugula •Horseradish •Radishes •

Daikon •Wasabi •Watercress

 

Healthy Compounds Worth Noticing

 

 

 

Crucifers like cabbage may contain at least a dozen health-promoting

compounds.

 

There are at least a dozen compounds in broccoli and other cruciferous

vegetables that have peaked scientists' interest. Most recently,

researchers isolated phytochemicals called glucosinolates from broccoli

sprouts. When chopped, chewed and digested, these compounds change into

isothiocyanates, which are powerful compounds that may inhibit cancer.

 

In a study by Ohio State University researchers, the isothiocyanates

were able to stop cancer cells from spreading in two human bladder

cancer cell lines and one mouse cell line. What's more, the compounds

had the greatest effect on the most aggressive of the cancers.

 

" While young sprouts naturally have higher concentrations of these

phytochemicals than full-grown broccoli spears, eating the spears also

provides health benefits, " said Steven Schwartz, a study co-author and a

professor of food science and technology at Ohio State University.

 

FYI: One tablespoon of broccoli sprouts has as much beneficial

sulforaphane (see below) as one pound of full-grown broccoli.

 

Other compounds that may be responsible for the cancer-fighting effects

of cruciferous vegetables include:

•Indole-3-carbinol: A glucosinolate that's formed when the vegetables

are crushed or cooked. Research has found that it deactivates an

estrogen metabolite that promotes tumor growth, particularly in breast

cells. It's also been found to keep cancer cells from spreading to other

parts of the body.

•Crambene: A phytonutrient.

•Sulforaphane: A type of isothiocyanate that's been found to increase

the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogenic compounds and free

radicals. This in turn protects against cell mutations, cancer and other

harmful effects.

 

More Reasons to Eat Your Broccoli

 

Many powerful findings support the notion that adding cruciferous

vegetables to your regular diet is a wise choice. Here are some of the

most noteworthy studies:

•A study at the Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California found

that people who ate more broccoli (about four half-cup servings/week)

were 50 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who

never ate broccoli.

•Men who ate two or more half-cup servings of broccoli per week were 44

percent less likely to develop bladder cancer than men who ate less than

one serving a week, according to researchers at Harvard and Ohio State

universities.

•Rats fed broccoli sprouts and then injected with a carcinogen had

smaller, fewer and slower-growing tumors than rats fed a regular diet,

according to a study at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.

•Men aged between 40 and 64 who ate three or more half-cup servings of

cruciferous vegetables a week were 41 percent less likely to develop

prostate cancer than those who did not.

•A study published in the September 2004 issue of the Journal of

Nutrition found that sulforaphane fights the spread of cancer cells,

even in the later stages.

 

Start your kids eating broccoli and other crucifers early on so they'll

continue their healthy eating habits into adulthood.

 

Tips to Get More Crucifers in Your Diet

 

Some people naturally love the taste of cruciferous vegetables and have

no trouble eating them regularly. For the rest of you, here are some

helpful tips:

•Try steaming crucifers and topping with cheese, lemon, butter or other

toppings.

•Add crucifers to your salads (or, if you prefer, add broccoli sprouts).

•Add broccoli sprouts to sandwiches.

•Cook Brussels sprouts and take apart the leaves. Then toss with olive

oil, lemon and other seasonings for a tasty warm " salad. "

•Add broccoli or cauliflower florets to marinara sauce for pasta or

other Italian dishes.

•Make your own homemade cream of cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower,

etc.) soup.

•Try juicing crucifers with lemon and parsley into a tasty vegetable

cocktail.

 

Recommended Reading

 

Six Disease-Fighting Super Antioxidants You are Likely Not Getting

Enough Of

 

Those Who Don't Diet are Better at Improving Health Than Those Who Do

Diet

 

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Sources

 

The Linus Pauling Institute

 

American Institute for Cancer Research

 

Health Orbit

 

PDR Health

 

DrLam.com: Cruciferous Vegetables

 

The World's Healthiest Foods

Sixwise.com © Copyright 2004

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[Guest guest]

Yes, this is an intereting article

and I'd like to remind list members of the often mentioned Paul

Pitchford's book, " Healing with Whole Foods "

 

where he suggests modern nutrition but also shares foundations in

Asian medical theories for using those foods.

 

Penel