CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

Broccoli , Cauliflower & Cabbage

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts and other green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, are among the foods known as cruciferous vegetables and contain two antioxidants called zeaxanthin and lutein, that are thought to help decrease prostate cancer among other types of  cancers.

Indole-3-carbinol

Also contained is a component called indole-3-carbinol that can combat breast cancer by converting a cancer-promoting estrogen into a more protective variety.

Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli, more so in the sprouts, have the phytochemical sulforaphane, which is a product of glucoraphanin, believed to aid in preventing some types of cancer, such as colon cancer and rectal cancer. Sulforaphane promotes the production of certain enzymes that can deactivate free radicals and carcinogens.

Glucoraphanin

These enzymes have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumors in laboratory animals. An interesting side note. At one time, the Agriculture Department studied 71 types of broccoli plants and found many differences in the levels of glucoraphanin contained between the varieties. Glucoraphanin makes broccoli bitter. The more bitter the broccoli is, the more glucoraphanine it has.