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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Broccoli benefits

A recent study suggested that eating tomatoes and broccoli together can enhance the anti-cancer potentency possessed by tomatoes and broccoli. In the study, rats were injected with human prostate tumors. And they were fed powdered tomato and dried broccoli. Used also in the study was finasteride, a drug that shows to slow the benign growth of the prostate.

The study found that the rats use diets with tomatoes and or broccoli get the smaller tumors. The diet with both tomatoes and broccoli is most effective and finasteride is least effective in slowing the tumor growth.

Broccoli and Cancer

The researches dosed mice with a UV light equivalent to a person sunbathing twice a week for 20 weeks. After the UV exposure, broccoli sprout extract was applied to some of the mice, in differing doses, for five days a week for an eleven week period. Some mice were not treated as a control group. At the end of the study, the mice treated with broccoli sprout extract, had a much lower incident of cancer growth. Where all of the control group of mice developed signs of cancer.

Broccoli and skin cancer

The protective effect of sulforaphane was identified fifteen years ago, when a scientist discovered that is prevented tumor development in a number of animals that were exposed to cancer causing agents. The new study examined the effects of broccoli sprout application to small areas of the skin of six human volunteers as well as mice.

Volunteers then were exposed to UV radiation, either at the site of the application of the broccoli extract or on an untreated area of the skin. The results were a 37% reduction in redness and inflammation in the treated areas of the skin. Also, the researcher noted that it took many hours or even days for the protective measures to ensue. However, the results lasted for days after the application was washed off the skin.

CONCLUSION

The ancient Etruscans of Italy were the first to cultivate broccoli. Eventually, the Etruscans brought the broccoli to Rome, where it reached widespread popularity. The vegetable became popular when the calabrese variety was cultivated. Prior to this, most Romans were eating a purple sprouting broccoli that turned green only when cooked.