Cancer Fighting Effects of Green Vegetables

I am a huge proponent of eating leafy green vegetables on a daily basis, especially in the form of Green Smoothies. That’s why I was so excited when I found this article describing the Cancer Fighting Effects of Green Vegetables.

This article is reblogged from Kris Karr’s CrazySexyLife.com and was written by Joel Furhman, M.D. (family physician, author, nutrition expert).

Nutrition scientists have shown over and over that people who eat more natural plant foods—vegetables, fruits, legumes—are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer. But are all vegetables equally protective? If we wanted to design an anti-cancer diet, we would want to know which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects. Then, we could eat plenty of these foods each day, flooding our bodies with the protective substances contained within them.

So, which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects?
Cruciferous vegetables.

This family of vegetables includes green vegetables like kale, cabbage, collards, and broccoli, plus some others like cauliflower and turnips (see the full list at the bottom of this post). They are named for their flowers, having four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross, from the Latin word ‘crucifer’ meaning ‘cross-bearer.’

All vegetables contain protective micronutrients and phytochemicals, but cruciferous vegetables have a unique chemical composition: they have sulfur-containing compounds which are responsible for their pungent or bitter flavors. When cell walls are broken by blending or chopping, a chemical reaction occurs that converts these sulfur-containing compounds to isothiocyanates (ITCs)—compounds with proven anti-cancer activities.

Over 120 ITCs have been identified, and the various ITCs have different mechanisms of action. Because different ITCs can work in different locations in the cell and on different molecules, they can have combined additive effects, working synergistically to remove carcinogens and kill cancer cells. Some ITCs have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or even immunologic effects. Some ITCs can inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which a tumor establishes a blood supply.

Some ITCs detoxify and/or remove carcinogenic compounds; the combined consumption of broccoli and Brussels sprouts (rich sources of the ITC sulforaphane) increases the excretion of certain dietary carcinogens. (1) Some ITCs inhibit cancer cell growth or induce cancer cell death: cruciferous vegetable juice, containing a variety of ITCs, has been shown to induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in breast cancer cells. (2)

Some ITCs can prevent carcinogens from binding to DNA and initiating cancerous changes in the cell. Sulforaphane activates enzymes that protect cells from DNA damage by carcinogens. (3) But if DNA does indeed become damaged, the growth of the damaged cell can be stopped to allow for DNA repair, or the cell can be programmed for cell death. These processes can control this damage. Several ITCs, including sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), and diindolmethane (DIM) stop growth or induce death in cultured cancer cells. (3) Sulforaphane blocks tumor formation and induces programmed cell death in colon cancer cells. (4) Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), present in several cruciferous vegetables, inhibits proliferation and induces cell death in bladder cancer cells. (5)

Indole-3-carbinol and its metabolite DIM may be especially protective against hormone-sensitive cancers; they help the body transform estrogen and other hormones into forms that are more easily excreted from the body. (6-7)

These observations in cell culture and animal studies have been confirmed by epidemiological studies drawing connections between cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer incidence. Inverse associations between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers have been reported. Similar associations exist for total vegetable intake, but cruciferous vegetables are far more potent:

•    Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other plant foods.  In population studies, a 20% increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20% decrease in cancer rates, but a 20% increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40% decrease in cancer rates. (8)
•    28 servings of vegetables per week decreased prostate cancer risk by 33%, but just 3 servings of cruciferous vegetables per week decreased prostate cancer risk by 41%. (9)
•    1 or more servings of cabbage per week reduces risk of pancreatic cancer by 38%. (10)

How can we maximize the ITC benefit of our cruciferous vegetables?  Methods of preparation and cooking can affect the availability of ITCs to be digested and absorbed.  Chopping, chewing, blending, or juicing allows for production of ITCs. Some ITC benefit may be lost with boiling or steaming, so we get the maximum benefit from eating cruciferous vegetables raw; however, some production of ITC in cooked cruciferous vegetables may occur in the gut once the vegetables have been ingested.

Cruciferous vegetables are not only the most powerful anti-cancer foods in existence, they are also the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables. Although the National Cancer Institute recommends 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day for cancer prevention, they have not yet established specific recommendations for cruciferous vegetables. I recommend 6 fresh fruits and 8 total servings of vegetables per day, including 2 servings of cruciferous vegetables, one raw and one cooked. Consuming a large variety of these ITC-rich cruciferous vegetables within an overall nutrient-dense diet can provide us with a profound level of protection against cancer.

List of cruciferous vegetables:
•    Arugula
•    Bok choy
•    Broccoli
•    Broccoli rabe
•    Broccolini
•    Brussels sprouts
•    Cabbage
•    Cauliflower
•    Collards
•    Horseradish
•    Kale
•    Kohlrabi
•    Mache
•    Mustard greens
•    Radish
•    Red cabbage
•    Rutabaga
•    Turnips
•    Turnip greens
•    Watercress

My Comments:

First, I want to remind you that this article is reblogged from http://crazysexylife.com/. Crazy Sexy Life is a wonderful resource for holistic healthful living.

I recommend drinking a Green Smoothie every morning. It’s a fantastic way for you to consume many servings of green veggies in one sitting.

Also, blending the greens makes it easier for your body to absorb and utilize all of the vital nutrients that they posses. This is especially crucial first thing in the morning because your body’s digestive system isn’t kicked into full gear yet.

Drinking your green smoothie every morning provides you with an abundance of nutrients and has the added benefit of protecting you against cancer. Delicious, Nutritious, Wholesome Goodness!

Tagged as: Cancer fighting vegetables, cruciferous, Green Smoothie, leafy greens