Anti-Cancer Veggie Compound
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Published - May 30, 2006
Vegetables just keep looking better and better. British scientists have discovered that some contain a substance that selectively targets cancer cells much the way some of the latest anticancer drugs do.
Researchers have long suspected that a plant chemical called sinigrin had something to do with the anticancer effects of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower. Now a study at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, has found that when we eat vegetables containing sinigrin, they release a chemical known as AITC. In lab tests, AITC inhibited the division of colon cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
All cruciferous veggies contain sinigrin, but along with the usual suspects, the category also includes kale, turnips, mustard greens, sprouts, wasabi, and horseradish. With all these choices, you shouldn’t have any trouble putting more cancer protection on your plate.