A shopping cart of cancer fighters

Broccoli sprouts, cabbage, ginkgo biloba and garlic appear to have a role in preventing a variety of cancers, researchers report.

The research, which focused on chemical interactions between compounds found in foods and the body's cells and DNA, suggests that the addition of these foods to the diet can confer health benefits, the researchers say.

The findings were to be presented Monday at the American Association for Cancer Research's meeting in Baltimore.

In the first study, Akinori Yanaka and colleagues from the University of Tsukuba in Japan found that in 20 people, a diet rich in broccoli sprouts significantly reduced Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

H. pylori, a bacterium, is a cause of gastritis -- inflammation of the stomach lining -- and is a major factor in peptic ulcer and stomach cancer, the researchers say. "

Even though we were unable to eradicate H. pylori, to be able to suppress it and relieve the accompanying gastritis by means as simple as eating more broccoli sprouts is good news for the many people who are infected," Yanaka said in a prepared statement.

Sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli sprouts, appears to be the active cancer-fighting agent. Sulforaphane apparently helps cells defend against oxidants: the highly reactive and toxic molecules that damage DNA and kill cells and potentially lead to cancer, the researchers noted.

(The HealthDay Web site) 2005 HealthDay News