Broccoli Good for Breast Cancer Patients

Broccoli Good for Breast Cancer Patients

Efficacy broccoli for cancer has long been a concern to scientists. In a recent research note, broccoli and cabbage can also increase the life expectancy of breast cancer patients, even delaying the recurrence of cancer.

Research conducted in China on 5,000 women aged 20-75 years who were diagnosed with breast cancer found that those who frequently group cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, or mustard, the risk of dying from breast cancer is 62 percent lower. Among other benefits, the risk of disease recurrence was also 35 percent lower.

Thus the results of the latest research presented by Sarah Nechuta, a researcher from Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center in Nashville, Tenn.. "This study shows that cruciferous vegetables contains bioactive compounds that may protect against breast cancer," she said.

Researchers claim that their findings are in contrast to previous research, because the findings of this time to see the influence of the consumption of broccoli and cabbage family vegetables in patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The respondents in this study were women who took part in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study. The researchers interviewed volunteers for six months after being diagnosed to gather information about diet, lifestyle and clinical factors such as tumor stage. They were also asked about how much to eat vegetables at 18 and 36 months after being diagnosed.

Results showed that women who consume broccoli 62 percent less likely to die from breast cancer during the study period about five years less than women get vegetable intake. While the risk of recurrence was 35 percent lower among women who ate broccoli.

Researchers said that the relationship low risk of death and cancer recurrence even been adjusted for other factors, including soy and meat consumption, vitamin intake, physical activity, stage of cancer, income and education level. On average, the women in the study ate about 3.5 ounces a day of broccoli family of vegetables.

Even so, Dr. Laura Kruper, director of the Women Health Center, City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., said, "The findings are very difficult to show causality." He added, need to do more studies in other populations and in particular for a long time to see the relationship between the two.

"I always tell my patients to limit alcohol (four glasses a week) and sugar, and eating more vegetables and less red meat," said Kruper. Kruper added, alcohol and lack of physical activity are the two factors known to increase the risk of breast cancer.