Popping the broccoli pill should soon prove to be prudent for people with a genetic predisposition to certain types of cancer, according to a Scottish biochemist.
Research is showing which particular chemicals in fruit and vegetables justify their role in the prevention of cancer, and how exactly they operate, said Prof John Hayes of the University of Dundee, an expert on the early stages of cancer formation.
His research, supported by others, has indicated the benefits of chemicals naturally found in broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts, which prevent genetic mutation occurring and, in turn, the formation of cancerous cells.
His laboratory, which is investigating biological mechanisms of "chemoprevention", had confirmed the importance of a variety of "detoxication enzymes", which break down the toxins produced by cancerous cells.
The potential benefit of sulforaphane, which is generated after the breakdown of a large carbohydrate, was also apparent in his research. It is a component of plants, which is thought to prevent insects from eating them, but will now be of use to humans, Prof Hayes said.
It is likely that the compound is released on chewing into the vegetable.
"Are we proposing `a broccoli pill'? In essence, that might be the direction to go with people who have a predisposition towards cancers such as colon or breast cancer," he said.
The Brassica crossbreed "brocco-sprouts", in particular, had very high levels of sulforaphane. The research is focusing at present on liver cancer, but it was hoped that it would apply to the prevention of colon cancer, a more pressing problem based on the number of cases occurring in Western world populations.
These important chemicals found in fruit and vegetables were not only applicable to the prevention of cancer, but also had a role in reducing existing cancer cells.
This is in "re-sensitising" cells so that they resume "programmed cell death", which has the effect of switching off a cancer. In other words, the trigger which causes a cell to commit suicide, is reset, thereby preventing the proliferation of cancerous cells.
