Poison Filter

Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages 
combat prostate cancer, says Biplab Das 

Eating loads of broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage can cut the risk of prostate cancer in men; say researchers from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). 

The research team found a chemical called indole (indole-3-carbinol) in the vegetables that helps stall runaway growth of cancer cells. Indole first turns itself into diindolylmethane (DIM) in the body before it launches an onslaught on the renegade cells. 

Men who ate three or more servings (15 per cent of the entire diet makes a serving) of any of the vegetables a day had a 48 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer, compared with men who ate less than a serving a day, found Gary Firestone, a cell biologist at UCB. 

Actually, the chemical found in broccoli and its ilk halts the activity of excess androgen, a hormone which aids the growth of prostate cancer cells. The chemical DIM had been shown to diminish the number of cancer cells by 70 per cent, says their report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. 

These latest findings add a new one to the elite club of chemicals that has strong anti-cancer effect. Earlier studies have found that indole helps detoxify lethal waste materials, preventing heart disease and osteoporosis. "We are investigating the potential of indoles in combination with current anti-cancer drugs on the market," said Firestone.