Eating one or more portions of broccoli every week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, according to new research - and can help localised cancer from becoming more aggressive.
The group at the Institute of Food Research, led by Professor Richard Mithen, has provided an explanation for the first time of how eating broccoli might reduce cancer risk based upon studies in men, as opposed to using animal models.
Men who were at risk of developing prostate cancer ate either 400g of broccoli or 400g of peas a week in addition to their normal diet over 12 months. Tissue samples were taken from their prostate gland before the start of the trial and after six and 12 months, and the expression of every gene was measured using Affdymetrix microarray technology.
More changes were recorded in men on the broccoli-rich diet than on the pea diet, and these changes may be associated with the reduction in the risk of developing cancer, that has been reported in epidemiological studies.
The results of the study suggested that relatively low amount of cruciferous vegetables in the diet - a few portions a week - can have large effects on gene expression by changing cell signalling pathways.
The Norwich team is planning a larger study with men with localised prostate cancer.
No comments yet