NaturalNews)
Men with early signs of developing prostate cancer were able to prevent tumor
growth by eating broccoli four times a week, according to a British study
covered on MSN (http://health.msn.com/health-topics...). But broccoli is not
the only cruciferous vegetable with anti-cancer properties.

Cabbage has a
long history of use both as food and medicine, according to The George Mateljan
Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods. Manual laborers were fed salted cabbage with their rice,
according to William Duffy's "Sugar Blues", to keep them strong and healthy
during the building of the Great Wall of China (http://www.naturalpedia.com/cabbage...). It was the only food they had besides their rice. Cabbage was also grown in
Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations that held it in high regard as a general
panacea capable of treating a host of health
conditions.

Today, epidemiological studies provide evidence that
diets rich in cruciferous
vegetables are associated with lower risks of several types of cancer, according to Oregon
State University (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocent...). Cabbage in particular
looks promising, boasting numerous cancer-preventing properties, including antioxidants and
glucosinolates.

Anti-oxidant phytonutrients

Red cabbage contains 36 different varieties
of anthocyanins, a
class of flavonoid phytonutrients that have been linked to protection from
cancer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and published in
the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (http://www.naturalnews.com/024487_c...).

Anthocyanins
are naturally occurring pigments that give fruits and berries their red, blue
and purple color. Another study by the ARS found that some varieties of the
phytonutrient have twice the antioxidant effect of
vitamin C (http://www.naturalnews.com/024487_c...).

Red cabbage is
unique among the cruciferous vegetables in providing
about 30 milligrams of the red anthocyanin in each half-cup serving. But even
white cabbage -- the most commonly eaten variety of cabbage in the U.S. --
provides about 50 milligrams in a half-cup serving.

The cancer-preventing
effects of cabbage are due, at least in part, to the antioxidant richness of the
vegetable. Without enough antioxidants, we can experience a metabolic problem
called oxidative stress, which can be a risk factor for development of
cancer, according to The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest
Foods (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...).

Isothiocyanates

The anti-oxidant benefits of cabbage alone secure its
position on the list of cancer-fighting foods but cabbage takes it a
step further. The glucosinolates found in cabbage can be converted into
isothiocyanate compounds, and these compounds show preventative effects for
variety of different cancers, including bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon
cancer, and prostate cancer (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...).

Isothiocyanates
(pronounced eys-so-thigh-o-sigh-an-ate) stop carcinogens in three
different ways, according to The Cancer Project: They prevent carcinogens from
being activated, they counteract the effects of carcinogens once they have been
activated and they speed up the removal of carcinogens from the
body.

Studies have shown that risks of cancers of the gastrointestinal
tract and the respiratory tract can be reduced by consuming isothiocyanate-rich
vegetables, and the compounds are especially effective in fighting lung and
esophageal cancers (http://www.cancerproject.org/protec...).

Indole-3-carbinol

Cabbage is also proving to aid in the prevention of
cancer due to a compound called Indole-3-carbinol. The compound, I3C, which is
released when we chew cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to protect against
the adverse effects of estrogen, according to The South African Journal of
Natural Medicine. When one type of estrogen is broken down, it divides into
metabolites, one which leads to high risk breast cancer and the other which
leads to low risk. I3C can reduce the risk of breast cancer by increasing the
production of the safer metabolite.

Sources for this article include:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocent...
http://www.naturalpedia.com/cabbage...
http://www.cancerproject.org/protec...
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocent...
http://cancer-treatment-registry.or...
http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_...
http://health.msn.com/health-topics...
http://www.naturalnews.com/024487_c...
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...
http://www.naturalmedicine.co.za/ca...


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