Some vegetables contain chemicals that appear to enhance DNA
repair in cells, which could lead to protection against
cancer development, say Georgetown University Medical Center
researchers. In a new study published in the "British
Journal of Cancer" and by the journal "Nature" the
researchers show that in laboratory tests, a compound called
indole-3-carinol (I3C), found in broccoli, cauliflower and
cabbage, and a chemical called genistein, found in soy
beans, can increase the levels of two specific proteins that
repair damaged DNA.
This study is one of the first to provide a molecular
explanation as to how eating vegetables could cut the risk
of developing cancer, an association that some population
studies have found, says the study's senior author, Eliot M.
Rosen, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, cell biology, and
radiation medicine at Georgetown 's Lombardi Comprehensive
Cancer Center . "It is now clear that the function of
crucial cancer genes can be influenced by compounds in the
things we eat," Rosen says.
"Our findings suggest a clear molecular process that would
explain the connection between diet and cancer prevention."
In this study, Rosen exposed breast and prostate cancer
cells to increasing doses of I3C and genistein, and found
that these chemicals boosted production of the repair
proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Since decreased amounts of the BRCA proteins are seen in
cancer cells, higher levels might prevent cancer from
developing, Rosen speculates, adding that the ability of I3C
and genistein to increase production of BRCA proteins could
explain their protective effects.
The study was funded by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation and the National Cancer Institute and co-authors
include Drs. Saijun Fan, MD, PhD, Qinghui Meng , MS , Karen
Auborn, PhD, and Timothy Carter, PhD.
The Feast whole food powders offer you, your family and your
children an easy and convenient way to get 5 to 9 servings
of fruits and veggies every day.
