Broccoli and Brussels sprouts: cancer foes

they are delicious.

I wonder if cabbage should be in that class of veggies.

Cabbage is also delicious in all of its forms.

Shredded, cole slaw, in stir fry.

'New research has linked a compound found in Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables to one of the body’s most potent tumor-suppressing genes. . .

The PTEN-protecting compound, I3C, was already known to science and thought to have anti-cancer properties, though its precise mechanism was a mystery. It occurs naturally in the cruciferous vegetables that include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. That group has been investigated in the past for its cancer-fighting properties, according to the National Cancer Institute, with promising results in animal studies, but mixed results in humans.'

that lab mice (not humans, this is important) got, you'd have to consume about six pounds of broccoli every day. And at that, it's not a complete magical cure. Admittedly, the article makes it seem that way with the mice, but there really aren't the kind of specific numbers that would be useful.

'But for anyone encouraged by the results who wants to embark on a broccoli-eating binge, Pandolfi said there’s a chore ahead. The doses effective in laboratory mice would be the human equivalent of eating more than six pounds of broccoli daily.

From a practical standpoint, that means the most likely approach would be to develop a pill form, Pandolfi said. I3C seems to be well-tolerated by humans and is actually on the market based on anti-cancer properties exhibited in preliminary studies. Its targets aren’t limited to WWP1, so additional work is needed to investigate appropriate doses and unintended effects of I3C supplements, Pandolfi said.

An alternative, albeit one that will take time, would be to develop a more narrowly targeted molecule based on I3C’s structure that zeroes in on WWP1. Pandolfi said his team’s future research will likely move in those directions.'

And my point exactly.

People always jump on preliminary research results as if they're cast in stone and as if they're vastly more meaningful than they are.

I'm okay with broccoli raw or cooked, but I don't go out of my way to eat it. And I find Brussels sprouts to be completely inedible. I guess I'll take my chances.

Every bit helps.