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| Green
veg may help fight breast cancer |
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| Eat
your greens – cabbage contains cancer-fighting
chemicals. |
Eating
plenty of green vegetables has been known to be super-healthy
for many generations. More recently, it has also been
known that eating a balanced diet, including fresh fruit
and vegetables, can help prevent some cancers. Now evidence
is emerging that a substance in green vegetables can actually
be used in the fight against breast cancer.
Scientists have found that a molecule in green vegetables
of the cabbage family can inhibit the growth of breast
cancer cells and could be used as an effective treatment
in conjunction with drugs.
The promising research, funded by the Medical Research
Council, at the University of Leicester, found that the
indole-3-carbinol (I3C) molecule in green vegetables has
the potential for inhibiting cancer development in both
animal models and humans. In relation to breast cancers,
scientists found that the molecule altered the receptors
in three out of four breast cancers.
The molecule is also believed to make cancer cells more
susceptible to anticancer drugs, suggesting that the two
could be used in combination to fight disease.
Dr Sheila Bingham, director of the Medical Research Council
Centre for Nutrition and Cancer at the University of Cambridge,
said, “This study supports the growing evidence that
food can be important in altering our susceptibility to
cancer and possibly survival from it, and may help to
explain why fruits and vegetables are so important.”
Professor Margaret Manson, who led the research, added,
“Although we need to carry out further studies, the
potential benefits are clear. Dietary agents are kind
to normal cells at doses which can slow down or kill cancer
cells.
“Combining them with drugs may enhance the drugs’
effectiveness and could allow reduced doses to be given
to patients. Many chemotherapeutic drugs are toxic substances
and the smaller the dose the better for the patient.”
I3C is naturally present in all cruciferous vegetables,
members of the cabbage family. The levels required for
potential breast cancer treatments will need to be formulated
in high doses. However, the research also confirms the
preventative qualities of I3C, demonstrating that they
are able to protect us from carcinogens.
Cruciferous vegetables are already known to have several
powerful cancer-fighting phytochemicals. These phytochemicals
act as antioxidants, helping the body to eliminate cancer-causing
substances.
Nutritionists recommend that you eat several servings
of cruciferous vegetables each week as part of your five-a-day.
Cruciferous vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, brussel
sprouts, watercress, pak choi, greens and kale. Green
fruits, such as kiwi, have some of these compounds too.
Add them to warming winter dishes such as stews, soups
and roast dinners or lighter meals such as stir fries.
There are thousands of other molecules present in fruit
and vegetables which could have similar properties. The
case gets stronger everyday to ensure sufficient levels
of fruit and vegetables within daily diets.
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