Disease Proof

From the July 2007 edition of Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Times:

Compounds derived from cruciferous vegetables are our best defense against cancer-causing chemicals in the environment. They inactivate chemical carcinogens before the initiation of cancer can occur, and they enable the removal of these substances from our tissues by a synergistic enhancement of detoxifying enzyme activity. They also can block the formation of tumors initiated by chemicals in lab animals and kill cells that have demonstrated DNA damage, protecting against non-cancerous conditions, such as fibroid tumors, as well.

Cruciferous vegetables help detoxify carcinogens and other toxins, rendering them harmless. They also up-regulate the liver’s ability to remove toxins, remove free radicals, prevent oxidative and DNA damage in cells, transform hormones into beneficial compounds inhibiting hormone- sensitive cancers, enhance and protect against the age-related loss of cellular glutathione, and enable cell death in cells that have abnormal mutations and DNA damage.

A perfect example is a study on prostate cancer showing 28 servings of vegetables per week decrease risk of prostate cancer by 33%, but just 3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables per week decreased risk of prostate cancer by 41%.

The National Cancer Institute of the National Institute for Health recommends 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. I recommend 6 fresh fruits per day and 8 servings of vegetables, with at least 2 servings of cruciferous vegetables per day (one raw and one cooked). Do you eat green cruciferous vegetables daily?