You know me…I love a good story about the positive effects that nutrition can have on cancer. So I’m happy to report that broccoli sprouts are once again making headlines for their cancer-fighting abilities, this time for their potential to inhibit gastric cancer, and melanoma (well, the melanoma one is a stretch for the term “nutrition,” as the study used a topically applied extract.)

According to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) “Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research” meeting, the chemical sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts may be able to prevent gastric cancer by inhibiting H. pylori, a bacteria that has been previously linked to development of the disease. Apparently, Japanese investigators found that people infected with the H. pylori bacteria who ate broccoli sprouts every day over a two-month period had reduced levels of H. pylori and pepsinogen (a marker of gastritis.) The researchers proposed that sulforaphane worked by protecting cells from DNA damage.

They plan to test whether the ingestion of broccoli sprouts over a longer period of time can prevent gastric cancer recurrence in those at high risk.

And adding to the evidence for a protective role of sulforaphane against cancer, researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found that applying an extract of sulforaphane to the skin of mice significantly reduced the development of cancerous skin tumors, suggesting the chemical could potentially be used in the fight against melanoma.

Too cool! While I don’t recommend rubbing broccoli sprouts on your skin instead of sun-block, it seems possible that in the not so distant future we’ll be seeing skin care products with sulforaphane extract already added. And if you’re interested in adding sulforaphane to your diet, you may want to take a look at my previous post about why broccoli & broccoli sprouts are two cancer-fighting foods that are not created equal. You can find the article at: Broccoli Sprouts May Fight Aggressive Bladder Cancer

SOURCE: NCI Cancer Bulletin – Studies Point to Anticancer Potential of Broccoli Sprouts

Technorati Tags: Cancer Prevention, Melanoma, Nutrition, Nutrition & Cancer, Broccoli Sprouts, Gastric Cancer