sulforaphane – Oral Cancer News

Broccoli may prevent oral cancer as clinical tests set to start on humans

Source: www.mirror.co.uk Author: staff The much-maligned green vegetable deserves more respect as lab tests show extracts of sulforaphane reduced tumours in mice. Broccoli could soon protect people from cancer of the mouth, throat, neck and head in a new treatment known as “green chemoprevention.” Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and garden cress have a high concentration of sulforaphane. Previous studies, including large-scale trials in China, have shown sulforaphane helps mitigate the effects of environmental carcinogens. Now lab tests have shown extracts made from broccoli sprout protected mice against oral cancer. American scientists now plan to carry out clinical trial on patients at high risk of a recurrence of head and neck cancer. They will be given capsules containing broccoli seed powder to determine if they can tolerate the regimen and whether it has enough of an impact on their oral lining to prevent cancer. Associate professor Dr Julie Bauman of the University of Pittsburgh said: “People who are cured of head and neck cancer are still at very high risk for a second cancer in their mouth or throat, and, unfortunately, these second cancers are commonly fatal. “So we’re developing a safe, natural molecule found in cruciferous vegetables to protect the oral lining where these cancers form.” The study involved testing sulforaphane in the laboratory when over several months mice predisposed to oral cancer were given the extract and found that it significantly reduced the incidence and number of tumours. Professor of medicine Dr Daniel Johnson at Pitt’s School [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-20T06:51:10-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Discovery may help scientists boost broccoli’s cancer-fighting power

Source: University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences URBANA – A University of Illinois study has shown for the first time that sulforaphane, the powerful cancer-fighting agent in broccoli, can be released from its parent compound by bacteria in the lower gut and absorbed into the body. "This discovery raises the possibility that we will be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli's cancer-preventive power," said Elizabeth Jeffery, a U of I professor of human nutrition. "It's also comforting because many people overcook their broccoli, unwittingly destroying the plant enzyme that gives us sulforaphane. Now we know the microbiota in our digestive tract can salvage some of this important cancer-preventive agent even if that happens," she said. Although scientists had long theorized that the intestinal microbiota could perform this trick, no one knew it for certain. Now Jeffery and U of I colleagues Michael Miller and Ren-Hau Lai have proved it by injecting glucoraphanin, the parent compound for sulforaphane, into the ligated lower gut of rats and demonstrating that sulforaphane is present in blood from the mesenteric vein, which flows from the gut to the liver. "The presence of sulforaphane in measurable amounts shows that it's being converted in the lower intestine and is available for absorption in the body," Jeffery said. The cecum, the part of the rat's lower gut into which the scientists infused the glucoraphanin, houses bacteria that aid in digestion and metabolism, similar to the human colon. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-07T08:25:07-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Fighting cancer through healthy living

Source: www.cancure.org Author: staff The National Cancer Institute estimates that roughly one-third of all cancer deaths may be diet related. What you eat can hurt you, but it can also help you. Many of the common foods found in grocery stores or organic markets contain cancer-fighting properties, from the antioxidants that neutralize the damage caused by free radicals to the powerful phytochemicals that scientists are just beginning to explore. There isn't a single element in a particular food that does all the work: The best thing to do is eat a variety of foods. The following foods have the ability to help stave off cancer and some can even help inhibit cancer cell growth or reduce tumor size. Avocados are rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body by blocking intestinal absorption of certain fats. They also supply even more potassium than bananas and are a strong source of beta-carotene. Scientists also believe that avocados may also be useful in treating viral hepatitis (a cause of liver cancer), as well as other sources of liver damage. Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower have a chemical component called indole-3-carbinol that can combat breast cancer by converting a cancer-promoting estrogen into a more protective variety. Broccoli, especially sprouts, also have the phytochemical sulforaphane, a product of glucoraphanin - believed to aid in preventing some types of cancer, like colon and rectal cancer. Sulforaphane induces the production of certain enzymes that can deactivate free radicals and carcinogens. The enzymes have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-05-20T18:06:51-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|