ANCHOR LEAD: BROCCOLI SPROUTS MAY OFFER SUN PROTECTION, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
Broccoli sprouts are known to have large amounts of sulforophane, a chemical with anticancer effects. Now Paul Talalay and colleagues at Johns Hopkins have shown that the same chemical reduces or eliminates damage due to UV light exposure, the same component of sunlight implicated in the worldwide epidemic of skin cancer.
TALALAY: Most people consider this to be a sunscreen effect. This has nothing to do with sunscreen. The broccoli sprout extract does not screen the radiation. The radiation enters the cell, it protects the cell after the radiation against the damage the radiation is doing. And we look at this as potentially a long term against the risk of developing skin cancer. :29
Talalay says a skin protection product derived from broccoli sprouts is some way off, so for now, eating the sprouts remains a healthful choice. I’m Elizabeth Tracey reporting..