October 19, 2005 Scientists at the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) have identified certain genetic profiles that are more likely to gain protection against cancer from cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cress and sprouts.
Research suggests that eating cabbage and other vegetables in the same family could help reduce the risk of lung cancer for some people with a particular genetic make-up.
Researchers knew there was a link between consumption of cabbage with reduced rates of lung cancer, but the exact mechanism for this effect had not been confirmed.
Also Research showed that isothiocyanates, compounds found in high quantities in cruciferous veg, have strong chemopreventive properties against lung cancer.
The IARC Researchers theorized that as isothiocyanates are eliminated in the body by theglutathione-S-transferase enzyme produced by the genes GSTM1 and GSTT1, people who have inactive forms of these genes would have higher concentrations of isothiocyanates because of their reduced elimination capacity.
They found that weekly consumption of cruciferous vegetables had a 33 per cent protective effect against lung cancer in people who had an inactive form of the GSTM1 gene.
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