Broccoli can help prevent cancer from forming, new study says

If ever you needed another reason to eat your greens, this could be it

Broccoli has always been associated with healthy diets and wellness, but its true properties are probably more powerful than you first thought. A new study found broccoli can help prevent against cancer. Green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower have long been assumed to protect against disease and help you lose weight, but now a link has been firmly established. These vegetables contain a molecule that switches off a gene known to trigger cancer cell growth.

Eat your greens

According to research, tumour growth was suppressed when the WWP1 gene was targeted with the ingredient found in broccoli. These findings could inform the future of cancer treatment, says the lead scientist behind the study. Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, says: "This emerges not only as a regulator for tumour growth control, but also as an Achilles' heel we can target with therapeutic options." In other words - due to the apparent benefits of broccoli in preventing tumour growth, it has the potential to be used in future medication. When your mum told you to eat all your greens, she wasn't trying to annoy you. There's a good reason for polishing off all your broccoli - and it's to protect your long-term health. Read more from JOE:

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