Broccoli, the Miracle Veggie That Fights Cancer and Wins

For the past decade scientists have been studying various fruits and vegetables to determine their effect on overall health and specific diseases. Many foods have been determined to assist the body in strengthening various organs or fighting off various disease processes. Shiny pink cranberries ward off urinary tract infections. Dar red cherries help alleviate the pain of gout. Dark, leafy greens can help prevent diabetes. But surprisingly, one of the most powerful foods available for preventing one of the most insidious diseases of all is plain old homely broccoli.

In the category of most healthful vegetable, broccoli definitely wins top honors. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has deemed broccoli one of the foods most likely to prevent colon cander. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health has published articles claiming that broccoli can help minimize the risk of people developing cataracts. And a tea of Harvard scientists published a research article in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that broccoli might also protect against the risk of strokes. How much more healthful can a vegetable be? Maybe our entire diet should be nothing but broccoli. Once for ounce, boiled broccoli has more vitamin C than orange juice, and as much calcium as a glass of milk. Among all vegetables, broccoli is one of the richest sources of vitamin A. And one medium-sized spear has three times more fiber than a slice of wheat bran bread.

But the real punch packed by broccoli is the potent cancer-fighting ingredients it provides the body. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have determined that broccoli is rich in substances called isothiocyanates—chemicals shown to stimulate the body’s production of its own cancer-fighting substances, which are called "phase two enzymes." These enzymes neutralize cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to damage the DNA of healthy cells and transmute them into cancer cells. To test the cancer-fighting power of broccoli, rats were fed hearty servings of broccoli for a few days and then exposed to a potent carcinogen that is known to trigger breast cancer in rats. The rats who had ingested large amounts of broccoli were half as likely to develop tumors as those that chow down on regular rat food. Even the broccoli-munching rats who did develop tumors ended up with fewer and smaller tumors. Another study showed that men who ate two or more servings of broccoli per week had a 44% lower risk of bladder cancer than men who ate one serving or less per week.

In a recent news release by Ohio State University, researchers say that they may have discovered at least one ingredient in broccoli that is responsible for its beneficial effects, and that ingredient is released only after chopping, chewing, or digesting broccoli. According to Steven Schwartz, professor of food science and technology at OSY, "We're starting to look at which compounds in broccoli could inhibit or decrease the growth of cancerous cells. Knowing that could help us create functional foods that benefit health beyond providing just basic nutrition." This recent study also documented the existence of isothiocyanates in broccoli, and went farther to determine that those compounds are created when glucosinolates—chemicals found naturally in crunchy cruciferous vegetables—are chopped or chewed. The study revealed the surprising discovery that although glucosinolates have no effect on cancer cells, when they are converted into isothiocyanates they can halt even the most powerful form of bladder cancer cells. This discovery was exciting. "There's no reason to believe that this is the only compound in broccoli that has an anti-cancer effect," said researcher Steven Clinton, associate professor of hematology and oncology at Ohio State University. "There are at least a dozen interesting compounds in the vegetable. We're now studying more of those compounds to determine if they work together or independently, and what kind of effects they have on cancer cells."

It’s too early to say just how much broccoli a person needs to eat to prevent or slow down the progression of cancer. But if you don’t like broccoli, you can still reap the benefits of its healthful blessings—and potentially even more power—by eating broccoli sprouts, the week-old seedlings of the mature broccoli plant. Researchers at Hopkins were surprised to discover that broccoli sprouts are amazingly rich in a form of isothiocyanates called sulforaphane—10 to 100 times as rich as broccoli itself, in fact. Increasing numbers of supermarkets and grocery stores have begun to sell broccoli sprouts, which are delicious on sandwiches and salads. Other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy appear to help protect against cancer. Scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund have found convincing evidence that cruciferous vegetables in general can lower the risk for many forms of cancer, including melanoma skin cancer and tumors of the stomach, esophagus, lungs, mouth, endometrium, pancreas, and colon. So maybe the fast-food industry should take note and start working to improve the health of Americans by replacing standard fare with the cruciferous crusader. I’ll have a broccoli burger, a large order of fried broccoli shoots, and a vanilla broccoli shake, to go!