Broccoli and Cancer Protection

Broccoli is a vegetable that belongs to the Cruciferous family. Recent research has showed that broccoli is one of our allies in fighting numerous types of cancer such as colon cancer, stomach cancer or breast cancer. The composition of this vegetable includes vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin C, folic acid and beta-carotene, potassium and fibres. You might ask yourselves what is so special about broccoli, since many vegetables and fruits contain the same vitamins and substances. Recent studies have shown that broccoli is rich in phytochemicals which play a major role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The two types of phytochemicals found in broccoli are sulforaphane and indoles. They have three kinds of effects: they prevent the forming of carcinogens, they help stopping the carcinogens to invade healthy cells and they boost the number of enzymes that have the role of cleaning up the carcinogens. Sulforaphane is very useful in the detoxification of carcinogens before they have had the possibility to infect other cells in the body. These phytochemicals stop the cancer cells by altering gene expression. Most sulforaphane can be found in broccoli sprouts. Indoles contribute to preventing tumour growth especially in the case of breast cancer and they slow down cancer cells metastasis. Broccoli contains an indole that is called I3C. I3C is essential to protect the body against cancer as it increases the levels of proteins that help repair the cancer cells.