Cancer is a term for diseases in which cells become abnormal and divide without order or control. These malignant cells form too much tissue and become a tumor. The tumor can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The University of California, Davis, notes that broccoli sprouts contain powerful cancer-fighting agents such as sulforaphane. If you want to include broccoli sprouts in your diet to treat your cancer, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian first.
Broccoli Sprouts and Carcinogens
Carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes offer the promise of preventing cancer. Broccoli sprout extract is a potent inducer of carcinogen-detoxication enzymes such as glucosinolates and isothiocyanates. These enzymes protect against chemical carcinogens, by-products of normal chemical chemical processes in your body, thus reducing the risk of cancer, says Jed Fahey, ScD, a nutritional biochemist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Bladder Cancer
Epidemiological studies demonstrate that diets high in cruciferous vegetables -- particularly broccoli sprouts -- could prevent or slow the growth of bladder cancer. Researchers at the Ohio State University have pointed out that broccoli sprouts contain cancer prevention agents called isothiocyanates that could play a direct role in preventing bladder cancer.
Prostate Cancer
V.A. Kirsh, a Cancer Care Ontario researcher, and colleagues have found that oxidative stress is a significant risk factor for prostate cancer. The researchers evaluated the influence of diet on progression of tumors in prostate cancer patients. The results of this study, published in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" in August 2007, have agreed that oxidative stress could be mediated through consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts.
Stomach Cancer
Broccoli sprouts supply many bioactive natural compounds such as sulforaphanes that may help in the fight against cancer. Sulforaphanes kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing. They could also be protective against stomach cancer due to their strong anti-bacterial effects against Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes ulcers and increases the risk of stomach cancer, notes the University of California, Davis.
References
- National Cancer Institute: What Is Cancer?
- "Journal of the National Cancer Institute"; Prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prostate cancer; Kirsh VA et al; August 2007
- Ohio State University: Broccoli Packs Powerful Punch to Bladder Cancer Cells; Steven Schwartz; July 28, 2005
- John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Center for Human Nutrition: Jed Fahey
- University of California, Davis: Broccoli Could Cure Stomach Cancer; July 15, 2003
