Broccoli has immune-boosting properties and can help fight cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
DIM (3,3'-diindolylmethane), a chemical produced from the compound indole-3-carbinol when brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale are chewed and digested, can stop the growth of certain cancer cells. This new animal study on mice, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, shows that DIM may help boost the immune system as well.
In the new study, the researchers found increased blood levels of cytokines, proteins which help regulate the cells of the immune system, in mice that had been fed solutions containing doses of DIM at a concentration of 30 milligrams per kilogram.
The two co-authors of the study are from Michigan State University's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition - James Pestka, professor of food science, and Maoxiang Li, a visiting research associate.
DIM is currently under investigation in government-funded clinical trials as a treatment for prostate and cervical cancer.
The University of California has filed patent applications on the use of DIM and its derivatives for immune modulation. Berkeley BioSciences Inc, a company co-founded by Bjeldanes and Firestone, has licensed the related patent applications from the University of California and is researching and developing immune-enhancing nutritional supplements and therapeutics based on this discovery.
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