CABBAGE anticancer?

[2810712]

I have read that vegitables of cabbage family reduce risk of cancer of lungs and digestive tract. What is so special about lungs and digestive tract ? What do U think?
I think, this depends on how it reduces the cancer. What's ur opinion?
hrushikesh

[Raegan]

Fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of developing cancer in the human body. This is because they are high in anti-oxidents (reducing free radicals), and particularly for the digestive tract....they are high in fiber. It's generally thought that a diet high in fibre prevents cancer by not letting the waste sit in the gut for a while and basically rotting your insides away.
However, eating a cabbage leaf but still smoking 10 packs of cigarettes a day and gorging on crisps for 10+ years, isn't likely to reduce the risk of cancer.

[2810712]

Thank U very much for the info. But, I still don't know what special about the cabbage family? I didn't find good link anywhere , so please request help.
hrushikesh

[Raegan]

links, try looking up pubmed, and searching cancer and cabbage, heaps of articles.

what's so specials about the cabbage family?

Anticarcinogenic compounds may be present only in specific vegetables, thereby attenuating findings for total vegetable intake. Cruciferous vegetables, ie cabbage and brussle sprouts, contain precursors of isothiocyanates (ITCs), which may be chemopreventive through potent inhibition of phase I, and induction of phase II enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferases (GSTs).
Also, some putative protective phytochemicals are found in higher amounts in young sprouts than in mature plants, not really relevent to cabbage, but interesting nevertheless.

Also vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli, are high in calcium, vitamin D, and these help reduce the risk of cancer.

[2810712]

Thanks for the info.
What if we induce the production of these anticancer chemicals into the common edibles using genetech. it wud be possible to induce enzyme production but we wud need to add ITC precursors .
I think, the fast food companies add some hazardous chemicals into foods so they shud also add reasonable ammounts of these useful chemicals , this shud be a rule...............What do U think?

hrushikesh

[Raegan]

personally, i don't think it's a good idea. taking just one compund, that has clinically been shown to reduce cancer, and placing only it in a totally different environment can cause problems. quite often, when this has been attempted, there is no therapeutic value whatsoever. a better option is to avoid fast food altogether - a boring option, but a healthier one.