Chemically Reducing Cancer Risk with Diet


Cancer Protection Compound Abundant in Broccoli Sprouts

Taken from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press/1997/SEPT/970903.HTM

September 15, 1997
Media Contact: Marc Kusinitz
Phone: (410) 955-8665
E-mail: mkusinit@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu

Dr. Paul Talalay holds broccoli sprouts
Photo: Keith Weller
Dr. Paul Talalay displays broccoli sprouts.
2100x1585, 300dpi TIFF JPEG, (2.7 MB)
"The young sprouts that we have found . . ."

 
JOHNS HOPKINS SCIENTISTS have found a new and highly concentrated source of sulforaphane, a compound they identified in 1992 that helps mobilize the body's natural cancer-fighting resources and reduces risk of developing cancer.
"Three-day-old broccoli sprouts consistently contain 20 to 50 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds found in mature broccoli heads, and may offer a simple, dietary means of chemically reducing cancer risk," says Paul Talalay, M.D., J.J. Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology. Talalay's research team fed extracts of the sprouts to groups of 20 female rats for five days, and exposed them and a control group that had not received the extracts to a carcinogen, dimethylbenzanthracene. The rats that received the extracts developed fewer tumors, and those that did get tumors had smaller growths that took longer to develop.
In a paper published in tomorrow's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Talalay and his coworkers describe their successful efforts to build on their 1992 discovery of sulforaphane's chemoprotective properties. Work described in the study is the subject of issued and pending patents.
A systematic search for dietary sources of compounds that increase resistance to cancer-causing agents led the Hopkins group to focus on naturally occurring compounds in edible plants that mobilize Phase 2 detoxification enzymes. These enzymes neutralize highly reactive, dangerous forms of cancer-causing chemicals before they can damage DNA and promote cancer.
"A comparable amount of chemoprotective activity . . ."


Dr. Jed Fahey examines
young broccoli sprouts
Photo: Keith Weller
Dr. Jed Fahey examines young sprouts.
1500x2100, 300dpi TIFF JPEG (2.3 MB)
Sulforaphane "is a very potent promoter of Phase 2 enzymes," says Jed Fahey, plant physiologist and manager of the Brassica Chemoprotection Laboratory at Hopkins, and broccoli contains unusually high levels of glucoraphanin, the naturally-occurring precursor of sulforaphane.
However, tests reported in the new study showed that glucoraphanin levels were highly variable in broccoli samples, and there was no way to tell which broccoli plants had the most without sophisticated chemical analysis.
"Even if that were possible, people would still have to eat unreasonably large quantities of broccoli to get any significant promotion of Phase 2 enzymes," Talalay says.
Clinical studies are currently under way to see if eating a few tablespoons of the sprouts daily can supply the same degree of chemoprotection as one to two pounds of broccoli eaten weekly. The sprouts look and taste something like alfalfa sprouts, according to Talalay.
Talalay founded the Brassica Chemoprotection Laboratory, a Hopkins center that focuses on identifying chemoprotective nutrients and finding ways to maximize their effects. Brassica is a plant genus more commonly known as the mustard family, and includes in addition to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower and turnips.
"Man-made compounds that increase the resistance of cells and tissues to carcinogens are currently under development, but will require years of clinical trials to determine safety and efficacy," Talalay notes. "For now, we may get faster and better impact by looking at dietary means of supplying that protection. Eating more fruits and vegetables has long been associated with reduced cancer risk, so it made sense for us to look at vegetables.
"Scientists currently need to continue to develop new ways of detecting and treating cancer once it is established, but it also makes sense to focus more attention on efforts to prevent cancer from arising," he adds.
Fahey and Yuesheng Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow, are also authors on the PNAS paper.
Work in Talalay's laboratory is supported by the National Cancer Institute, philanthropic contributions to Brassica Chemoprotection Laboratory, and grants from the Cancer Research Foundation of America and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Talalay is establishing the Brassica Foundation, a foundation that will test and certify chemoprotective vegetables such as sprouts to raise funds for chemoprotection research.

Hypertext version of the FDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans (at USDA)
http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/dga/dga95.html

Cancer Research Foundation of America
http://www.preventcancer.org/

American Institute for Cancer Research
http://www.aicr.org/

The Diet and Cancer Link
http://www.aicr.org/dietcan.htm

National Cancer Institute CancerNet
Info for health professionals, statistics, journals:
http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/health.htm
Info for patients and the general public
http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/patient.htm

Johns Hopkins Oncology Center
http://www.med.jhu.edu/cancerctr/
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Making healthy food choices doesn't have to break the bank.

Would you spend a penny for a cup of broccoli??? Of course you would! What if I included to say that it contains a power house of nutrients that can improve your health dramatically. Don't believe me, some people only follow a doctor's advice, listen to the good Doctor Greger here:

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/biggest-nutrition-bang-for-your-buck/

Check out this video if you are still not convinced:

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/broccoli-versus-breast-cancer-stem-cells/

Want even more medical proof, watch this video: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/sulforaphane-from-broccoli-to-breast/


The really great thing is you can grow this amazing food all year long without ever having to step outside. I grow mine in the kitchen. See my post here: http://rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com/2010/06/broccoli-and-red-clover-sprouts.html

One tablespoon of broccoli seeds will yield about 2 cups of sprouts. That is a ton of food for just pennies. The important thing to remember is how nutrient dense this food is. A little goes a long way. One can easily add about 2 tablespoons of fresh sprouts to any meal. We put them in the morning green smoothie, on salads, in raw puddings (recipe below) or in wraps. But the majority of the time I personally just grab a handful a day and gobble them up...I am hooked on them!

 

How do these little sprouts help one suffering from stomach problems? Read this article taken from Digestive Health.

Posted in Digestive Health on February 21, 2011
The uncomfortable abdominal pain of gastritis and ulcers often comes on after eating. And that's why doctors typically focus on eliminating offending foods from the diet to help treat these conditions. But what if eating certain foods actually helped to relieve your symptoms?   
Food as Medicine. Gastritis and ulcers are most often caused by an infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which increases the stomach's sensitivity to acid-mediated injury by decreasing cells' ability to protect against it. It follows, then, that the most effective foods to combat the symptoms of gastritis and ulcers are those that either fight the H. pylori infection or reduce the acidity in your stomach.
Research suggests that one such food is -- broccoli sprouts -- can inhibit H. pylori growth in the gut.
  • Broccoli sprouts. A chemical in broccoli sprouts known as sulforaphane has an antibacterial effect on H. pylori. Broccoli sprouts are three- to four-day-old broccoli plants that look like alfalfa sprouts and taste like radishes. They contain more sulforaphane than mature broccoli and are tasty sprinkled on salads or added to sandwiches. 
A study of 48 individuals with H. pylori infection, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, found that those who ate 70 g (about 1 cup) of broccoli sprouts a day for eight weeks had less stomach infection and inflammation than people who ate a similar amount of alfalfa sprouts, which do not contain sulforaphane.

Many people complain that eating a healthy, whole foods diet is too expensive. Sure some other foods may seem cheaper that fresh fruits and vegetables but are you getting anything from them nutritionally or are you making your health slowly deteriorate by consuming these processed foods? Consider how cheap it is to grow your own sprouts...no excuses! Anyone can make healthy food choices even on a budget, you just have to want to!

 Mixed Berry Pudding

by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com

 

10 oz bag of organic harvest berries (Cascadian Farm)

1/2 C purified water

2 bananas

1 C organic kale

1/2 C fresh broccoli sprouts

2 Brazil nuts

2 T chia sees

2 capfuls organic vanilla extract

Fresh organic blueberries to garnish

In a high speed blender, blend all of the ingredients, except blueberries, until creamy smooth. Pour into serving bowls and top with fresh blueberries. Enjoy!



+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for a new start. I get so much joy waking up each morning, knowing that I have the opportunity to do better than the day before.

Comments

Cynthia said…
Thanks for reminding me why I grow my sprouts! I get a little side tracked occasionally! Peace Cynthia

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