Broccoli- the Wonder Vegetable

Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, Diet and Weight Loss, General Fitness, Health, Ladies/fit, Prime/fit, Quick Tips, Seniors/fit, Supplements, Travel/fit, Youth/fit | (0) Comments

If you like broccoli, that is good because it has been shown to be one of the best vegetables you can eat. Now, researchers think that it may be an important way to keep prostate cancer at bay. For a good blog of someone who has had prostrate cancer, go here.

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The researchers believe a chemical in the food sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumors, said Richard Mithen, a biologist at Britain’s Institute of Food Research.

There is plenty of evidence linking a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables to reduced cancer risk. But the study published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS One is the first human trial investigating the potential biological mechanism at work, Mithen added in a telephone interview.

…The researchers also took tissue samples over the course of the study and found that men who ate broccoli showed hundreds of changes in genes known to play a role in fighting cancer.

The benefit would likely be the same in other cruciferous vegetables that contain a compound called isothiocyanate, including brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, rocket or arugula, watercress and horse radish, they added.

Broccoli, however, has a particularly powerful type of the compound called sulforaphane, which the researchers think gives the green vegetable an extra cancer-fighting kick, Mithen said.

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I think one of the common attitudes people have nowadays is the “it’s inevitable” syndrome. You hear it when people talk about their weight, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. While there are people who will have a genetic predisposition to certain problems, assuming that it is a certainty and you can do nothing about it is wrong thinking. So with that in mind, make a decision to do the things you need to do to stay healthy-eat right, lose weight, exercise and avoid things that are known to be harmful like smoking. Oh, and don’t forget to eat your broccoli!