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Eating Broccoli Regularly Helps to Ward Off Stomach Cancer
London Free Press
Mon, May 4, 2009
By Dr. Richard Beliveau
Though many children would likely disagree, eating broccoli can be a
lifesaver. In addition to its ability to help prevent certain types of cancer,
recent studies have shown broccoli also has antibacterial properties when it
comes to a dangerous bacterium found in the stomach that can lead to cancer.
Helicobacter pylori are the only type of bacteria able to survive in the
acidic conditions inside the human stomach, eventually infecting its inner
walls. And that infection is no rare phenomenon, with nearly two thirds of the
world's population carrying this bacterium. While the majority of cases are
found in developing countries, a significant number of North Americans also are
carriers of the bacteria, especially those older than 60.
Where public health is concerned, this high incidence of H. pylori
infection has significant and lasting effects as it causes more than 75% of
stomach ulcers. Even more alarming is its role in causing certain stomach
cancers. Identifying ways to eradicate these bacteria could therefore reduce the
frequency of stomach cancer, one of the biggest killers worldwide.
In 2002, researchers made a major breakthrough in determining ways to
reduce the incidence of H. pylori infection. They discovered a molecule found in
broccoli, sulforaphane, possessed strong antibiotic properties against H.
pylori, which suggested the vegetable could play an important role in preventing
stomach cancer.
To verify these findings, a pilot study was recently done in Japan, a
country with a large portion of residents infected with H. pylori and a high
incidence of stomach cancers. In this study, 25 volunteers carrying the bacteria
ate 70 gm of broccoli sprouts daily, an excellent source of sulforaphane, while
another group of volunteers ate alfalfa sprouts, which do not contain
sulforaphane. After two months on this diet, the presence of H. pylori in the
stomachs for both groups was examined. Those who consumed broccoli sprouts
during the study saw their levels of H. pylori reduced by 40%.
Those results are even more impressive considering that the diet also
contributed to a reduction in the inflammation of the stomach lining.
Because the ability of H. pylori to inflame the stomach lining plays a big
role in the progression to stomach cancer, these results suggest regular
consumption of broccoli could reduce the risk of these cancers.
The reduction of H. pylori levels while on a broccoli-rich diet is
reversible, meaning as soon as a person stops consume the vegetable, the H.
pylori comes back. Consuming the vegetable regularly (two or three times a
week) is the best way to protect yourself from stomach cancer, as well as
bladder and prostate cancer.
Richard Beliveau holds the chair in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer at
the University of Quebec at Montreal, where he is a professor in the chemistry
and biochemistry department.
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