Health Benefits

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of cancer. Scientists are now examining the role specific plant phytochemicals play in this process.

Vegetables, Sulforaphane Glucosinolate (SGS™)
and the Reduction of Cancer Risk - An Overview

A staggering 10.3 million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year worldwide, making cancer prevention a top public health priority. Fortunately, the right diet can be a powerful weapon against development of this devastating disease. According to a recent international expert report changes in diet may prevent 30 to 40 percent of cancer cases, or three to four million cases annually.

Reducing the Risk of Some Cancers with Diet

Cancer can be controlled through two complementary routes:

• Prevention - Reducing exposure to cancer-causing chemicals such as tobacco, environmental carcinogens, and harmful dietary components.
• Chemoprotection - Increasing the body's defense system against carcinogens. Cells in the body contain a family of detoxification enzymes (Phase 2 enzymes) that neutralize cancer-causing chemicals as well as free radicals before they damage DNA and initiate cancer. A diet rich in antioxidants helps the cells in fighting the harmful effects of free radicals.

Health experts agree there is compelling scientific evidence that consumption of vegetables and fruits helps to reduce the risk of some cancers. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as National Research Council and American Institute of Cancer Research recommendations all reflect this growing knowledge. This consensus was also the basis for the National Cancer Institute's "5-A-Day" program to encourage increased consumption of vegetables and fruits. The chemoprotective effect of vegetables from the Brassica family, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, are particularly well documented.

The Power of Protective Phytochemicals

Through pioneering research, medical investigators worldwide are beginning to unravel the mysteries of how diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce the risk of cancer.

One explanation is that plants are rich sources of naturally protective substances called phytochemicals. Plant phytochemicals number in the thousands. Only a small number of them have been identified and their mechanisms of action studied. Some familiar protective phytochemicals are:

• Allicin in garlic;
• Isoflavones in soybeans;
• Lycopene in tomatoes;
• Flavanoids in green and black teas;
• Sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) in broccoli and broccoli sprouts;
• Carotenoids in carrots;
• Lignans in flax seed.

The Science of Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane is a naturally occurring phytochemical that enhances the cancer-protective capacity of animal cells. According to studies by Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, sulforaphane induces Phase 2 (detoxification) enzymes. These are the enzymes which deactivate carcinogens and free radicals, thus enhancing the body's own defense system against cancer-causing chemicals.

In animal studies, administration of sulforaphane blocked tumor development, reducing incidence, multiplicity, and size of carcinogen-induced mammary tumors. (see Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens)

In general, Brassica family plants such as broccoli are rich in sulforaphane in its glucosinolate precursor form. However, the evidence suggests that broccoli must be eaten in large quantities to substantially reduce the risk of cancer. In addition, supermarket broccoli varies considerably in sulforaphane content, whereas certain varieties of young broccoli sprouts, grown under standardized conditions, contain large and highly uniform quantities of the compound.

Talalay and his colleagues identified the specific varieties of three-day-old broccoli sprouts containing 20 times the concentration of sulforaphane glucosinolate found in mature broccoli.

More importantly, small quantities of broccoli sprout extracts reduced the incidence and size of mammary tumors in animals. (see the paper) Clinical studies are underway to further explore the effects of broccoli sprouts on protective biomarkers against human cancer.

The Bottom Line

Chemoprotection has great promise as a way to use the diet to reduce the risk of some cancers. Chemoprotection can be accomplished by activating the body's Phase 2 "defense" enzymes. Cruciferous plants, such as broccoli, contain a natural precursor, sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS), which is readily converted to sulforaphane. Sulforaphane acts by raising the activity of these enzymes. Research into the chemoprotective powers of sulforaphane is promising and exciting. While more research is needed, supplementing a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help maintain the body's natural defenses.

You can find more information about the science behind SGS and BroccoSprouts at www.brassica.com.

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