If you didn’t already have enough reasons to eat more vegetables, a new study claims that broccoli contains an extraordinary chemical that could be 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣’s “Achilles’ heel.”
Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
Though many people dislike their flavor, and they may be harmful to nursing mothers, these veggies contain a small but potent chemical that deactivates the WWP1 gene, which is responsible for malignant tumor formation.
Dr. Pier Paolo Pandolfi, director of the C𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 Center and C𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said the discovery could lead to new C𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 treatments.
“The study’s really exciting,” Pandolfi told the Harvard Gazette. “I’ve been inundated by journalists—let’s be honest, because of the broccoli link. Forget what you believe about science; the idea that [we discovered] something that your grandmother would say is healthy for you is enticing.”
Pandolfi and his colleagues thought that a gene known as PTEN could create abnormalities and faults in WWP1.
After testing their theory on C𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣-prone mice and human cells, they discovered that WWP1 produces an enzyme that outcompetes PTEN’s tumor-suppressive activity – but the scientists also discovered that a molecule found in cruciferous vegetables called indole-3-carbinol (I3C) can reactivate PTEN’s 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣-fighting properties.
However, Dr. Yu-Ru Lee, a co-author of the study, emphasized that in order to gain the anti-𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 effects, a person would need to consume approximately 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) of uncooked Brussels sprouts every day.
Regardless, Pandolfi told the Gazette that the discovery could reveal “one of the most important tumor suppressors in the history of 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 genetics.”
“This pathway emerges not only as a regulator for tumor growth control, but also as an Achilles’ heel we can target with therapeutic options,” says Pandolfi. “These findings pave the way toward a long-sought tumor suppressor reactivation approach to 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 treatment.”
This article was originally published on Good News Network.
