http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4688854.stm

[Guest guest]

Broccoli chemical's cancer check

Broccoli

Scientists have been looking at why vegetables like broccoli could protect

against cancer

A chemical in vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can boost

DNA repair in cells and may stop them becoming cancerous, a study says.

 

Another chemical in soy also performs the same role, the Georgetown

University team said.

 

Although a link has already been found between eating these foods and a

reduced cancer risk, this research shows how that might happen.

 

The research is published in the British Journal of Cancer.

 

 

It is now clear that the function of crucial cancer genes can be influenced

by compounds in the things we eat

Professor Eliot Rosen, Georgetown University

 

Vegetables such as broccoli were found to contain a compound called I3C.

 

And a chemical called genistein found in soy beans.

 

The repair proteins, regulated by genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2, are

important for preventing damaged genetic information being passed on to the

next generation of cells.

 

If people have a faulty BRCA gene they are at a higher risk of developing

some forms of cancer, including breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

 

Low amounts of the BRCA proteins are seen in cancer cells, so the scientists

propose higher levels might prevent cancer developing.

 

Researchers suggest the ability of I3C and genistein to boost the amount of

BRCA proteins could explain their protective effects.

 

'Clear process'

 

Professor Eliot Rosen, who led the research, said: "Studies that monitor

people's diets and their health have found links between certain types of

food and cancer risk.

 

"However, before we can say a food protects against cancer, we have to

understand how it does this at a molecular level."

 

He added: "It is now clear that the function of crucial cancer genes can be

influenced by compounds in the things we eat.

 

"Our findings suggest a clear molecular process that would explain the

connection between diet and cancer prevention."

 

Professor John Toy, medical director of Cancer Research UK, which owns the

British Journal of Cancer, said: "Diet's role in cancer prevention is

complex.

 

"This research explores an interesting hypothesis as to how certain

components of diet can affect cancer risk.

 

"The evidence is building that these chemical compounds act on some of the

genes inside cells that help prevent cancer developing."

 

But he added: "We still don't know if this is exactly how these chemicals

might act in every day life."

 

However he said it had been established that eating a balanced diet, which

was high in fibre plus plenty of fruit and vegetables, lowered the risks of

developing many forms of cancer.