Why eating broccoli cuts prostate cancer

NORWICH , England, July 2 (UPI) -- Eating one or more portions of broccoli every week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, British researchers say.

As part of the study, published online in the journal PLoS ONE, men at risk of developing prostate cancer ate either 14 ounces of broccoli or 14 ounces of peas per week in addition to their normal diet over 12 months. Tissue samples were taken from their prostate gland before the start of the trial and after six and 12 months, and the expression of every gene was measured.

The study found there were more changes in gene expression in men who were on the broccoli-rich diet than on the pea diet. The study showed the presence of the GSTM1 gene had a profound effect on the changes in gene expression caused by eating broccoli.

The study suggests relatively low amounts of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli -- a few portions per week -- can have large effects on gene expression by changing cell signaling pathways. These signaling pathways are the routes by which information is transmitted through a molecular cascade, which amplifies the signal to the nucleus of the cell where gene expression occurs.