Plant phytonutrients found in Brussels sprouts enhance the activityof the body's natural defense systems to protect against disease,including cancer. Scientists have found that sulforaphane, oneof the powerful glucosinolate phytonutrients found in Brussels sproutsand other cruciferous vegetables, boosts the body's detoxificationenzymes, potentially by altering gene expression, thus helping to clearpotentially carcinogenic substances more quickly. Additionally,researchers in the Netherlands investigated the effect of a diet highin Brussels sprouts on DNA damage. They compared two groups of healthymale volunteers. Five men ate a diet that included 300 grams (about 10ounces) of cooked Brussels sprouts daily, while the other five men at adiet free of cruciferous vegetables. After three weeks, the group thatate Brussels sprouts had 28% decrease in measured DNA damage. ReducedDNA damage may translate to a reduced risk of cancer since mutations inDNA allow cancer cells to develop.Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferousvegetables such as Brussels sprouts are chopped or chewed, is alreadyknown to trigger the liver to produce enzymes that detoxifycancer-causing chemicals, inhibit chemically-induced breast cancers inanimal studies, and induce colon cancer cells to commit suicide. Astudy published in the Journal of Nutritionalso suggests that sulforaphane may help stop the proliferation ofbreast cancer cells, even in the later stages of their growth.
Brussels sprouts' glucosinolates have been shown to help prevent thedevelopment of colon cancer in response to exposure to heterocyclicamines, the carcinogenic compounds produced when meat is grilled orotherwise charbroiled. In an animal study published in Carcinogenesis,researchers looked at the effects of drinking water supplemented withBrussels sprouts or red cabbage juices on the liver and colon oflaboratory animals that were also given a heterocyclic aminecarcinogen.
Brussels sprouts reduced the development of pre-cancerous cells41-52% in the colon and 27-67% in the liver, and drastically diminishedthe size (85-91%) of pre-cancerous lesions in the liver.
Red cabbage moderately decreased (19-50%) the number ofpre-cancerous lesions that developed in the liver and markedly reduced(41-83%) the size of those that did occur.
These highly protective effects are due to crucifers' abilityto significantly increase the activity of enzymes involved in bothPhase I (CYP4501A2) and Phase II (glucuronidation via UDPGT-2)detoxification.Brussels sprouts' stronger protective effects are thought to be due tothe fact that this cruciferous vegetable contains 2-3 times the amountof glucosinolates than are found in red cabbage. Glucosinolatesincrease Phase II glucuronidation activity, one of the primary pathwaysthrough which toxins made even more dangerous by Phase I are renderedwater-soluble and ready for elimination from the body.
New research has greatly advanced scientists' understanding of justhow cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage,cauliflower, broccoli, and kale help prevent cancer. When thesevegetables are cut, chewed or digested, a sulfur-containing compoundcalled sinigrin is brought into contact with the enzyme myrosinase,resulting in the release of glucose and breakdown products, includinghighly reactive compounds called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates arenot only potent inducers of the liver's Phase II enzymes, whichdetoxify carcinogens, but research recently conducted at the Institutefor Food Research in the U.K. shows one of these compounds, allylisothicyanate, also inhibits mitosis (cell division) and stimulatesapoptosis (programmed cell death) in human tumor cells.
Sulforaphane may also offer special protection to those with coloncancer-susceptible genes, suggests a study conducted at RutgersUniversity and published online in the journal Carcinogenesis.In this study, researchers sought to learn whether sulforaphane couldinhibit cancers arising from one's genetic makeup. Rutgers researchersErnest Mario, Ah-Ng Tony Kong and colleagues used laboratory animalsbred with a genetic mutation that switches off the tumor suppressorgene known as APC, the same gene that is inactivated in the majority ofhuman colon cancers. Animals with this mutation spontaneously developintestinal polyps, the precursors to colon cancer. The study found thatanimals who were fed sulforaphane had tumors that were smaller, grewmore slowly and had higher apoptotic (cell suicide) indices.Additionally, those fed a higher dose of sulforaphane had less risk ofdeveloping polyps than those fed a lower dose.
Optimize Your Cells' Detoxification / Cleansing Ability
For about 20 years, we've known that many phytonutrients work asantioxidants to disarm free radicals before they can damage DNA, cellmembranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, newresearch is revealing that phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables,such as Brussels sprouts, work at a much deeper level. These compoundsactually signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved indetoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodieseliminate harmful compounds.The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricatedance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct andbalance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, eachperforming its own protective role in perfect balance with the otherdancers. The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells' abilityto disarm and clear free radicals and toxins, including potentialcarcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to lowerour risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits.
Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferousvegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lungcancer-even whencompared to those who regularly eat other vegetables:
In a study of over 1,000 men conducted at the Fred HutchinsonCancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, those eating 28 servings ofvegetables a week had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer, but thoseconsuming just 3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each weekhad a 44% lower prostate cancer risk.
In the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer, in whichdata was collected on over 100,000 people for more than 6 years, thoseeating the most vegetables benefited with a 25% lower risk ofcolorectal cancers, but those eating the most cruciferous vegetablesdid almost twice as well with a 49% drop in their colorectal cancerrisk.
A study of Chinese women in Singapore, a city in which airpollution levels are often high putting stress on the detoxificationcapacity of residents' lungs, found that in non-smokers, eatingcruciferous vegetables lowered risk of lung cancer by 30%. In smokers,regular cruciferous vegetable consumption reduced lung cancer risk anamazing 69%!
How many weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables do you needto lower your risk of cancer? Just 3 to 5 servings-less than oneserving a day! (1 serving = 1 cup)To get the most benefit from your cruciferous vegetables like Brusselssprouts, be sure to choose organically grown varieties (theirphytonutrient levels are higher than conventionally grown), and steamlightly (this method of cooking has been shown to not only retain themost phytonutrients but to maximize their availability).
For a brief overview of the process through which cruciferousvegetables boost our ability to detoxify or cleanse harmful compoundsand examples of how specific phytonutrients in crucifers work togetherto protect us against cancer, see our FAQ: Optimizing Your Cells' Detoxification/Cleansing Ability by Eating Cruciferous Vegetables.
For Healthy Skin and Immune Function, Think Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C, the body'sprimary water-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin C supports immune functionand the manufacture of collagen, a protein that forms the groundsubstance of body structures including the skin, connective tissue,cartilage, and tendons. A large study conducted on nearly 20,000 menand women in England found that people with the highest vitamin Clevels had half the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke or cancer.Risk of dying from heart disease was reduced by 71% in men and 59% forwomen in the group with the highest vitamin C levels.
In addition, a cup of Brussels sprouts contains a whopping 1122IU of vitamin A plus 669 IU of beta-carotene, both of which playimportant roles in defending the body against infection and promotingsupple, glowing skin.
Fiber-rich Brussels Sprouts Support A Healthier Colon
Add Brussels sprouts to your diet, and you'll increase your fiberintake. A cup of Brussels sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fiber,and both soluble and insoluble fiber are present in roughly equalamounts. Fiber not only fills you up, satisfying your hunger, butnourishes the cells lining the walls of the colon, promoting colonhealth and helping to prevent diseases such as diverticulosis and coloncancer. In addition, fiber aids elimination by forming a soft, bulkystool that is easily passed.Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis
While one study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin Cmakes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs withaging, worse in laboratory animals, another indicates that vitaminC-rich foods, such as Brussels sprouts, provide humans with protectionagainst inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritisinvolving two or more joints.
The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseaseswere drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects who kept dietdiaries and were arthritis-free when the study began, and focused onsubjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis and similar subjectswho remained arthritis-free during the follow-up period. Subjects whoconsumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were more thanthree times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumedthe highest amounts.
A Birth Defect Fighter
Especially if you are pregnant, consider learning to love Brusselssprouts. A cup of Brussels sprouts supplies 93.6 mg of folic acid, aB-vitamin essential for proper cellular division because it isnecessary in DNA synthesis. Without folic acid, the fetus' nervoussystem cells do not divide properly. Deficiency of folic acid duringpregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neuraltube defects like spina bifida. Despite folic acid's wide occurrence infood (it's name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning "foliage,"because it's found in green leafy vegetables), folic acid deficiency isthe most common vitamin deficiency in the world.
