Broccoli Averts Liver Cancer

Broccoli Averts Liver Cancer

BALTIMOREBroccoli sprouts helpthe body detoxify carcinogens, reducing the risk of developing liver cancer,according to a study published in Cancer EpidemiologyBiomarkers & Prevention (14, 11:2605-13, 2005)(http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/).

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Qidong Liver CancerInstitute (Qidong, China), Jiao Tong University (Shanghai) and the University ofMinnesota Cancer Center (Minneapolis) conducted a randomized, placebo-controlledchemoprevention trial to test whether drinking hot water infusions ofthree-day-old broccoli sprouts containing known levels of the anticarcinogeniccompound sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS), could alter the disposition ofaflatoxin and phenanthrene (carcinogens). One hundred test subjects drank 5 oz/dof the extract, prepared as a liquid extract to ensure standard dosages andequivalent to consuming approximately 2 oz.

broccoli sprouts for two weeks. A control group drank asimilar extract containing virtually no SGS. Tests conducted on urine ofindividuals given the high-SGS extract suggested carcinogens were beingdetoxified and flushed from the body. There was an inverse association betweenlevels of sulforaphane derivatives in the urine and DNA damage. The researchersconcluded an understanding of factors influencing glucosinolate hydrolysis andbioavailability will be required for optimal use of broccoli sprouts in humaninterventions.

While this study did not directly look at liver cancer, itis clear that liver cancer has had devastating consequences in this region ofChina and in other parts of the world, said Jian-Guo Chen, M.D.,participating epidemiologist with the Qidong Liver Cancer Institute. Thisstudy is an initial step in evaluating dietary methods for preventing thisdisease, and it may be applicable to other types of cancers.