Men may be able to cut their risk of aggressive prostate cancer in half by eating more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, say American researchers.
In a new study involving nearly 30,000 men, researchers found that men who ate more one serving of cruciferous vegetables each week had a 49% lower risk of advanced prostate cancer compared to their peers who ate cruciferous vegetables less than once a month. Overall risk of prostate cancer was not affected by increased consumption of cruciferous vegetables.
Advanced prostate cancer is prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland.
Cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are rich in cancer-fighting compounds called glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are converted into potent chemicals that help eliminate cancer-causing substances by regulating your body's detoxification enzymes. For this reason, scientists believe that increased consumption of cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of several types of cancer including breast, lung, colorectal and prostate.
In this study, broccoli and cauliflower were the two cruciferous vegetables that had the greatest impact on advanced prostate cancer. Men who ate cauliflower more than once a week had 52% lower risk of advanced prostate cancer than those who ate this vegetable less than once a month. Eating broccoli more than once a week cut the risk by 45% as compared to eating it less than once a month.
For more tips on how to add cauliflower to your diet, check out the September 2007's Featured Food.
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