Vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower have many wellness benefits and now evidence has come to light showing how they can also protect us from breast cancer. Cruciferous vegetables include many familiar types of the foodstuff like those just mentioned, as well as Brussels sprouts, kale, radishes and turnip. Eating these vegetables may now offer even more health benefits than were previously known.
Protective effects
The Vanderbilt University research focussed on the wellbeing of women who’d suffered from breast cancer. The study involved looking at the survival rates of 4,886 Chinese women who’d had varying degrees of the condition, from Stage I to Stage 4. They found that survival rates following the disease increased depending on the portions of cruciferous vegetables they ate. Death rates decreased by 22 to 62 per cent, with the chances of cancer returning also decreasing by 21 to 35 per cent. Further studies reveal that these vegetables can also reduce the risk of other cancers, including, kidney, throat and colorectum tumours. Medical experts explain that these kinds of vegetables contain bio-active compounds (called isothiocyanates) that can target and kill cancerous tissue.
Helping ourselves
Women in China generally have greater access to these kinds of vegetables, because they are included in many of their national dishes. In the UK we may only be familiar with a few of them, but branching out to other types and including them in our meals could safeguard our wellbeing from cancer. Nutritionists recommend steaming vegetables, like broccoli, as overcooking can affect enzyme myrosinase which helps to make the cancer fighting agents in the vegetable. So whether we’ve had breast cancer, or simply want to protect ourselves from the condition and other types of tumours, then upping the level of cruciferous vegetables may help us in doing this. Remembering to prepare them in a way that preserves their nutrients means we can really harness their cancer protecting benefits.