Does broccoli help reduce Cancer? For most people, the conventional wisdom that eating broccoli has health benefits isn't exactly a glowing endorsement, with questions of chemical levels in the vegetable.
Broccoli is so typically referred to as a superfood that it's easy to gloss over what's actually inside it. Broccoli has a much higher concentration of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and beta-carotene than most other vegetables. So here's why those nutrients can make a big difference in a person's health.
Broccoli is high in vitamin K
Vitamin K helps fight against infections and inflammation by promoting blood clotting and blood vessel health. Researchers have also found that it can also reduce the risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
Consuming three or four servings of broccoli every week can lead to a 20 percent reduction in the risk of a heart attack or stroke in individuals who have already had a heart attack or stroke, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reported.
Broccoli is high in sulforaphane, a compound that may also have other health benefits. Research suggests it may help treat colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, among other conditions.
Broccoli is high in vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important nutrient for bone and muscle health. Too little vitamin C in the diet, which may be related to eating less orange or red fruit and vegetables, has been linked to a higher risk of bone fracture in women and fractures in older adults.
The amount of vitamin C in broccoli may be particularly beneficial for people with inflammatory bowel disease. According to one study, those who ate two to three servings of broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables were less likely to develop ulcerative colitis compared with people who didn't consume these vegetables.
Broccoli is packed with vitamin C
Although a diet rich in vitamin C isn't usually considered a significant benefit, it's still worth noting that broccoli is packed with vitamin C, which is converted by the body to vitamin K. Among other nutrients, broccoli also has 6 to 8 grams (0.24 to 0.31 ounces) of vitamin C per one-cup serving, the same amount as an orange, and it contains about 150 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA recommends consuming three or four servings of cruciferous vegetables each week.
Broccoli is high in fiber
Broccoli contains lots of fiber, which is healthy for your digestive system and has several other health benefits. One serving of broccoli has about 15 grams (0.55 ounces) of fiber, which is equivalent to almost half of the daily recommended amount, according to the USDA.
Although broccoli has more fiber than many other vegetables, it isn't necessarily a great source of fiber in its own right. That's because many fruits, vegetables, and grains contain fiber, but it's also present in higher concentrations in vegetables and is not as easy for the body to absorb as fiber in other foods. For instance, tomatoes have more fiber than both broccoli and celery, but they're still low in both nutrients.
Broccoli is high in folate
The most concentrated sources of folate in the cruciferous vegetable are the stems or florets. In a cup of cooked broccoli, about 14 percent of the overall amount is the potent nutrient.
Folate, the B-group of the folate group of vitamins, may help lower the risk of birth defects and several other conditions, including prostate cancer. In one study, women who had the highest intakes of folate — more than 100 micrograms a day, which is about the average for Americans — had a 17 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared with those who consumed the least amount of folate.
Folate may be especially beneficial for pregnant women and women who are trying to become pregnant. According to one analysis, women who eat diets high in cruciferous vegetables are about 15 percent less likely to get breast cancer.
Broccoli is low in saturated fat
Broccoli is high in fiber and vitamins C and K, and it's a low-fat food, which means vegetable has a lower-fat content than many other foods.
One cup of broccoli has just 0.3 grams (0.0031 ounces) of saturated fat, about one-third of the fat content in a cup of cooked cauliflower.
Consuming broccoli may help prevent heart disease
Dietary changes that reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet may reduce the risk of heart disease. These include eating more beans, lentils, and nuts, as well as a reduction in dietary cholesterol.
One study in which men and women with metabolic syndrome — a group of risk factors for heart disease — were asked to follow a low-fat diet saw a 20 percent reduction in blood pressure. Another study followed people with high triglyceride levels to see if they reduced their intake of saturated fat. These people also saw a significant reduction in blood pressure and heart disease risk.
Broccoli is low in calories
Although broccoli is a vegetable that's low in calories, it can still be a satisfying meal. A cup of raw broccoli contains only 46 calories and is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin K.
Broccoli may help protect against cancer
Another study that looked at the impact of eating cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, on colorectal cancer found that they may protect against the disease.
Broccoli may also help lower a person's risk of a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. People who consumed the highest levels of the cancer-preventing nutrients vitamin C and vitamin E were about 23 percent less likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than those who consumed the lowest amounts, according to a study.
The reason why broccoli may help prevent cancer is not entirely clear. It may have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help lower a person's risk of developing cancer.
Broccoli can reduce arthritis pain
A review of research in Arthritis Care and Research found that people who eat broccoli may be less likely to experience inflammation, which can play a role in the development of arthritis.
Broccoli may help lower the risk of arthritis because it contains a compound called sulforaphane. Research shows that sulforaphane can reduce inflammatory markers in the blood and reduce the number of chemicals that contribute to arthritis.
How to eat broccoli
Raw broccoli is usually the best way to enjoy the vegetable. However, broccoli can also be roasted, boiled, or steamed, as long as the vegetable is cooked until tender.
In its raw form, broccoli is full of water, which can increase stomach irritation, or cause stomach upset, and it may be difficult to digest.
One study found that raw broccoli contained significant amounts of compounds that can cause stomach irritation. However, when broccoli was cooked, its contents lost much of their toxicity.
Some people do not tolerate raw broccoli well, which is why many manufacturers add water and salt to the vegetable before cooking it to make it more palatable.
How to prepare broccoli
Eating raw broccoli is a good way to enjoy vegetables. However, it may cause stomach upset for some people. Eating raw broccoli is a good way to enjoy vegetables. However, it may cause stomach upset for some people.
When raw, broccoli contains the following nutrients and vitamins:
- calcium
- iron
- vitamins A, C, and K
- fiber
- potassium
calcium and iron may be absorbed better when the vegetables are cooked. Cooking causes the loss of some nutrients, so vegetable and fruit manufacturers often add nutrients and vitamins to cooked broccoli products.
Oncology research: Oncology researchers have found out, after studying 145 cancer patients, that including broccoli and spinach in the diet could reduce the chances of receiving a new type of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is used in metastatic head and neck cancer that has metastasized to the lungs, lymph nodes, or elsewhere in the body. The new research, presented today at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Atlanta, found that nutrition could be an effective treatment for metastatic head and neck cancer, potentially changing the way the cancer is treated. Oncologist Satish Bhula from the University of South Florida was the principal investigator of the study.“Our research demonstrates the importance of selecting and administering drugs with a new precision for identifying and treating cancers. It proves that nutrition in the form of broccoli and spinach has a potential therapeutic effect on the metastatic course of head and neck cancer.” Dr. Khurram Nasir
Compared with patients who received standard chemotherapy, broccoli and spinach patients were also better at holding a weight loss or weight gain. This finding has raised the hope of this therapeutic being used to treat other cancer patients in the future.
Chemotherapy and cancer
Often chemotherapy is the best way to treat cancer. The main mode of chemotherapy is the drug peloton, which works on the surface of cancer cells and releases toxins that block the activity of vital cells and chromosomes inside the cell. These damaged cells then die. The chemotherapy was approved for use in the U.S. in 2013 after receiving the Food and Drug Administration’s approval in 2012.
The cancer researchers found out, after studying 145 cancer patients, that this method of cancer treatment is not very effective for the treatment of metastatic head and neck cancer.
Related to chemotherapy, the team has also shown that many patients lose their hair. Unfortunately, all the patients did not have enough hair to be included in the research study.
“There are multiple reasons why chemotherapy is not successful in treating head and neck cancer,” says Dr. Khurram Nasir. “It does not shrink the tumor. The tumors grow faster. That is one of the reasons the patients in this study lost their hair. Also, because of the chemotherapy and radiation treatment, patients develop anxiety. This psychological stress can also hinder the body’s normal function and affect the effectiveness of chemotherapy.”
The results of the research study support the findings of Dr. Sam Chang, an oncologist from Stanford University, who tested the impact of nutrition on radiation treatment of head and neck cancer. Chang analyzed 80 patients who were treated with radiation therapy and assigned a dose of a particular type of food to ensure they would receive food items with cancer-fighting properties.
The nutrition made a difference, showing that patients who were given broccoli and spinach lost weight after radiation therapy. The nutrition also reduced the need for additional treatment by two percent in patients who had higher body weight at the time of radiation.
Currently, nutrition in the form of broccoli and spinach is used in the form of dietary supplements. The study presented in Atlanta, however, suggests that nutrition in the form of broccoli and spinach could be used as a treatment for cancer patients, possibly changing the way cancer treatment is used.
Oncology and nutrition
This study is encouraging for oncology and nutrition. It shows the importance of a new method of nutrition in the treatment of cancer. Even if it is not directly related to chemotherapy, the study says that it can be used in the future to treat cancer patients.“The new study not only proved that nutrition had an effect on chemotherapy treatment but also helped in showing the importance of nutrition as a therapeutic agent,” says Dr. Khurram Nasir. Health experts would recommend that patients try to keep the weight and avoid overeating, especially if they have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy.
“The type of chemotherapy given in this study did not include high doses of radiation and this is very important,” says Dr. Khurram Nasir. “Low doses of radiation will reduce hair loss.”It is also important to avoid the harmful side effects of cancer treatment. Most of the patients who were given the chemotherapy found it hard to regain their normal weight. The main reason was nausea.
“In most cases, patients do lose weight,” says Dr. Khurram Nasir. “At times, they lose a lot of weight. It is hard for cancer patients to get back to normal weight and control their appetite.”Even though it is difficult to lose weight after treatment, the best way to gain the weight back is to maintain a proper diet, stay physically active and follow the dosage of the food according to the prescription of the oncologist.
