Broccoli and Brussels sprouts stop cancer spreading

Broccoli and Brussels sprouts have the ability to stop the spread of cancer, scientists have discovered this week. Eating the vegetables encourages the body to produce a substance known as 13C – indole-3-carbinol – that can fight cancer, and block cancer cells from proliferating. Scientists at the Ohio State University have discovered that 13C blocks breast cancer cells, although it is likely that it can fight other cancers, too, such as prostate, liver, colon, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It may also reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Around half of all breast cancer patients – and especially those whose cancer has progressed and has become life-threatening – have an abnormally high level of a molecule thought to be associated with the disease. The 13C substance destroys the molecules and the cancer. The scientists used dietary supplements that contained the active ingredients of broccoli and Brussels sprouts, although it is likely that the same effect can be achieved by eating the vegetables themselves. (Source: Cancer Prevention Research, 2010; 3: 818-28).