X-Message-Number: 30760
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 10:30:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: 
Subject: the case for increased broccoli consumption I

  [Doctors recommend greater fruit and vegetable intake to reduce disease
risk, while their patients routinely disregard this recommendation. It is
apparent that only so much produce is going to be consumed no matter what
doctors say. Perhaps a more practical recommendation might be to consume
more of certain specific health promoting fruits and vegetables, and less of
other fruits and vegetables would do not possess health promoting
attributes. Here I would like to make the case for increased broccoli
consumption, as a probable health and lifespan extender in humans.
  As a survey at any local supermarket will show, broccoli is not a very
popular food, and constitutes only a small percentage of the total fruit and
vegetable intake. Unlike many other fruits and vegetables, broccoli
consumption is consistently associated with reduced cancer, and
cardiovascular disease risk, as well as reduced mortality rates in humans.
However only one lifespan test has yet been completed, in drosophilia, where
broccoli was found to be substantially more effective at increasing lifespan
than green tea.]

[snip> "Only 3% of the sample consumed broccoli"]

J Nutr. 2000 Dec;130(12):3063-7.
More Americans are eating "5 a day" but intakes of dark green and
cruciferous vegetables remain low.
    Johnston CS, Taylor CA, Hampl JS. Department of Nutrition, Arizona State
University East, Mesa 85212, USA.
    Epidemiological investigations repeatedly show that the regular
consumption of dark green and cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes and citrus
fruits in particular is related to reduced cancer risk. We used the
1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals to examine the
types of fruits and vegetables consumed by Americans. The analytic sample
population, which consisted of 4806 men and women (25-75 y old) who
completed two nonconsecutive 24-h recalls, consumed 3.6 +/- 2.3 servings of
vegetables and 1.6 +/- 2.0 servings of fruit daily. Iceberg lettuce,
tomatoes, French fried potatoes, bananas and orange juice were the most
commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, accounting for nearly 30% of all
fruits and vegetables consumed. The most popular items, lettuce and
tomatoes, were consumed by 39-42% of the sample population during the
reporting period. Fewer respondents (16-24%) consumed French fried potatoes,
bananas or orange juice. Only 3% of the sample consumed broccoli during the
reporting period. White potato consumption averaged 1.1 servings daily, with
French fried potatoes representing 0.4 serving. Tomato product consumption
averaged 0.5 serving daily, dark green vegetable consumption averaged 0.2
serving daily and citrus, berries or melon consumption amounted to nearly
0.8 serving daily. These data indicate that Americans are consuming more
fruits and vegetables but that dark green and cruciferous vegetable intake
is low.
PMID: 11110870

[Broccoli reduces myocardial infarct size in rats.]

J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Jan 23;56(2):609-17. Epub 2007 Dec 29.
Broccoli: a unique vegetable that protects mammalian hearts through the
redox cycling of the thioredoxin superfamily.
    Mukherjee S, Gangopadhyay H, Das DK. Cardiovascular Research Center,
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
06030-1110, USA.
    Epidemiological evidence indicates several health benefits of the
consumption of broccoli, especially related to chemoprevention. Because
broccoli contains high amounts of selenium and glucosinolates (particularly
glucoraphanin and isothiocyanate sulforaphane), which can produce
redox-regulated cardioprotective protein thioredoxin (Trx), it was reasoned
that consumption of broccoli could be beneficial to the heart. To test this
hypothesis, a group of rats were fed broccoli (slurry made with water)
through gavaging; control animals were gavaged water only. After 30 days,
the rats were sacrificed; isolated hearts perfused via working mode were
made ischemic for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion. The results
demonstrated significant cardioprotection with broccoli as evidenced by
improved postischemic ventricular function, reduced myocardial infarct size,
and decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis accompanied by reduced cytochrome c
release and increased pro-caspase 3 activities. Ischemia/reperfusion reduced
both RNA transcripts and protein levels of the thioredoxin superfamily
including Trx1, Trx2, glutaredoxin Grx1, Grx2, and peroxiredoxin (Prdx),
which were either restored or enhanced with broccoli. Broccoli enhanced the
expression of Nrf2, a cytosolic suppressor of Keap1, suggesting a role of
antioxidant response element (ARE) in the induction of Trx. Additionally,
broccoli induced the expression of another cardioprotective protein, heme
oxygenase (HO)-1, which could be transactivated during the activation of
Trx. Examination of the survival signal revealed that broccoli caused the
phosphorylation of Akt and the induction of Bcl2 in concert with the
activation of redox-sensitive transcription factor NF kappa B and Src
kinase, indicating a role of Akt, Bcl2, and cSrc in the generation of
survival signal. Taken together, the results of the present study indicate
that the consumption of broccoli triggers cardioprotection by generating a
survival signal through the activation of several survival proteins and by
redox cycling of thioredoxins.
PMID: 18163565

[Broccoli consumption is associated with a lower risk of ovarian cancer.]

Int J Cancer. 2007 Nov 15;121(10):2225-32.
A prospective study of dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelial
ovarian cancer.
    Gates MA, Tworoger SS, Hecht JL, De Vivo I, Rosner B, Hankinson SE.
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
    Flavonoids are antioxidant compounds found in plants, including fruits,
vegetables and tea. No prior prospective studies have examined the
association between intake of flavonoids in the flavonol and flavone
subclasses and ovarian cancer risk. We analyzed the association between
intake of 5 common dietary flavonoids and incidence of epithelial ovarian
cancer among 66,940 women in the Nurses' Health Study. We calculated each
participant's intake of myricetin, kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin and
apigenin from dietary data collected at multiple time points, and used Cox
proportional hazards regression to model the incidence rate ratio (RR) of
ovarian cancer for each quintile of intake. Our analysis included 347 cases
diagnosed between 1984 and 2002, and 950,347 person-years of follow-up.
There was no clear association between total intake of the 5 flavonoids
examined and incidence of ovarian cancer (RR = 0.75 for the highest versus
lowest quintile, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.51-1.09). However, there
was a significant 40% decrease in ovarian cancer incidence for the highest
versus lowest quintile of kaempferol intake (RR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.42-0.87;
p-trend = 0.002), and a significant 34% decrease in incidence for the
highest versus lowest quintile of luteolin intake (RR = 0.66, 95% CI =
0.49-0.91; p-trend = 0.01). There was evidence of an inverse association
with consumption of tea (nonherbal) and broccoli, the primary contributors
to kaempferol intake in our population. These data suggest that dietary
intake of certain flavonoids may reduce ovarian cancer risk, although
additional prospective studies are needed to further evaluate this
association. If confirmed, these results would provide an important target
for ovarian cancer prevention. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PMID: 17471564

[Broccoli extract increased average fly lifepan by 60%, and increased
maximum lifespan by 34%. By comparison green tea extract increased average
lifespan by 7%, and maximum lifespan by 14%.]

J Nutr Biochem. 2007 Aug 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Green tea catechins and broccoli reduce fat-induced mortality in Drosophila
melanogaster.
    Li YM, Chan HY, Yao XQ, Huang Y, Chen ZY. Li Ka Shing Institute of
Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong,
China; Department of Biochemistry, Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
    Dietary fat accelerates the ageing process and causes a greater
mortality by accumulating lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) in Drosophila
melanogaster. The present study found that the life span of D. melanogaster
was shortened from 54 to 6 days in a dose-dependent manner when fat in diet
increased from 0% to 25%. The results showed that supplementation of both
green tea catechins (GTC) and broccoli extract (BE) reversed partially the
fat-induced mortality. The maximum life span was 44 days for the control
group fed with a 5% fat, whereas it increased to 50 and 59 days in the GTC-
and BE-supplemented groups, respectively. The 50% survival time for the
control flies fed with a 5% fat diet was 30 days. In contrast, it increased
to 32 and 48 days when GTC and BE were supplemented in the diet. This was
consistent with a significant reduction in total body LPO level in D.
melanogaster maintained on the GTC- and BE-supplemented diet. Accordingly,
catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities increased significantly
in the flies fed with a GTC or a BE diet compared with those fed with a
control 5% fat diet. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
analysis indicated that the increase in enzymatic activities of catalase and
SOD was accompanied by up-regulation of genes for catalase, copper-zinc
containing SOD and manganese-containing SOD. It was concluded that GTC and
BE reversed the fat-induced mortality in D. melanogaster, most likely but
necessarily solely, by up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes.
PMID: 17707629

[Broccoli consumption is associated with a 45% lower risk of prostate
cancer.]

J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Aug 1;99(15):1200-9. Epub 2007 Jul 24.
Prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prostate cancer.
    Kirsh VA, Peters U, Mayne ST, Subar AF, Chatterjee N, Johnson CC, Hayes
RB; Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Research
Unit, Division of Preventive Oncology, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON,
Canada.
    BACKGROUND: Several epidemiologic studies have reported associations
between fruit and vegetable intake and reduced risk of prostate cancer, but
the findings are inconsistent and data on clinically relevant advanced
prostate cancer are limited. METHODS: We evaluated the association between
prostate cancer risk and intake of fruits and vegetables in 1338 patients
with prostate cancer among 29,361 men (average follow-up = 4.2 years) in the
screening arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening
Trial. Participants completed both a general risk factor and a 137-item
food-frequency questionnaire at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models
were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals
(CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Vegetable and fruit
consumption was not related to prostate cancer risk overall; however, risk
of extraprostatic prostate cancer (stage III or IV tumors) decreased with
increasing vegetable intake (RR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.74, for high
versus low intake; P(trend) = .01). This association was mainly explained by
intake of cruciferous vegetables (RR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.36 to 0.98, for high
versus low intake; P(trend) = .02), in particular, broccoli (RR = 0.55, 95%
CI = 0.34 to 0.89, for >1 serving per week versus <1 serving per month;
P(trend) = .02) and cauliflower (RR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.89 for >1
serving per week versus <1 serving per month; P(trend) = .03). We found some
evidence that risk of aggressive prostate cancer decreased with increasing
spinach consumption, but the findings were not consistently statistically
significant when restricted to extraprostatic disease. CONCLUSION: High
intake of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, may be
associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly
extraprostatic disease.
PMID: 17652276

[Broccoli consumption is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart
disease.]

Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Jun 1;165(11):1305-13. Epub 2007 Mar 22.
Dietary intakes of flavonols and flavones and coronary heart disease in US
women.
    Lin J, Rexrode KM, Hu F, Albert CM, Chae CU, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ,
Manson JE. Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham
and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
    Dietary flavonols and flavones are subgroups of flavonoids that have
been suggested to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The
authors prospectively evaluated intakes of flavonols and flavones in
relation to risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal CHD in the
Nurses' Health Study. They assessed dietary information from the study's
1990, 1994, and 1998 food frequency questionnaires and computed cumulative
average intakes of flavonols and flavones. Cox proportional hazards
regression with time-varying variables was used for analysis. During 12
years of follow-up (1990-2002), the authors documented 938 nonfatal
myocardial infarctions and 324 CHD deaths among 66,360 women. They observed
no association between flavonol or flavone intake and risk of nonfatal
myocardial infarction or fatal CHD. However, a weak risk reduction for CHD
death was found among women with a higher intake of kaempferol, an
individual flavonol found primarily in broccoli and tea. Women in the
highest quintile of kaempferol intake relative to those in the lowest had a
multivariate relative risk of 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.48, 0.93; p
for trend = 0.04). The lower risk associated with kaempferol intake was
probably attributable to broccoli consumption. These prospective data do not
support an inverse association between flavonol or flavone intake and CHD
risk.
PMID: 17379619

[snip> "Broccoli decreased tumor weights by 42%"]

Cancer Res. 2007 Jan 15;67(2):836-43. Epub 2007 Jan 9.
Combinations of tomato and broccoli enhance antitumor activity in dunning
r3327-h prostate adenocarcinomas.
    Canene-Adams K, Lindshield BL, Wang S, Jeffery EH, Clinton SK, Erdman JW
Jr. Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Food Science and
Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, and
Department of Internal Medicine, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research
Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
    The consumption of diets containing 5 to 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables daily is the foundation of public health recommendations for
cancer prevention, yet this concept has not been tested in experimental
models of prostate cancer. We evaluated combinations of tomato and broccoli
in the Dunning R3327-H prostate adenocarcinoma model. Male Copenhagen rats
(n=206) were fed diets containing 10% tomato, 10% broccoli, 5% tomato plus
5% broccoli (5:5 combination), 10% tomato plus 10% broccoli (10:10
combination) powders, or lycopene (23 or 224 nmol/g diet) for approximately
22 weeks starting 1 month prior to receiving s.c. tumor implants. We
compared the effects of diet to surgical castration (2 weeks before
termination) or finasteride (5 mg/kg body weight orally, 6 d/wk). Castration
reduced prostate weights, tumor areas, and tumor weight (62%, P<0.001),
whereas finasteride reduced prostate weights (P<0.0001), but had no effect
on tumor area or weight. Lycopene at 23 or 224 nmol/g of the diet
insignificantly reduced tumor weights by 7% or 18%, respectively, whereas
tomato reduced tumor weight by 34% (P<0.05). Broccoli decreased tumor
weights by 42% (P<0.01) whereas the 10:10 combination caused a 52% decrease
(P<0.001). Tumor growth reductions were associated with reduced
proliferation and increased apoptosis, as quantified by proliferating cell
nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry and the ApopTag assay. The combination
of tomato and broccoli was more effective at slowing tumor growth than
either tomato or broccoli alone and supports the public health
recommendations to increase the intake of a variety of plant components.
PMID: 17213256

[Brassinolide might be responsible for some of the anticancer effect of
broccoli.]

Pharmazie. 2007 May;62(5):392-5.
Brassinolide, a plant sterol from pollen of Brassica napus L., induces
apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells.
    Wu YD, Lou YJ. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
    Brassinolide is a plant sterol first isolated from pollen of rape
(Brassica napus L.). The present study was carried out to investigate the
effect of brassinolide on androgen-independent human prostate cancer PC-3
cell viability. Results showed that brassinolide could induce a time and
concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells. The mode of cell death
appeared to be predominately apoptosis, as shown by flow-cytometric
analysis, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopes. Caspase-3
activity was obviously increased after brassinolide treatment. Western blot
studies indicated that treatment with brassinolide triggered a
time-dependent decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2.
We suggest that brassinolide could induce cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells by
triggering apoptosis. Brassinolide might therefore be a promising candidate
for the treatment of prostate cancer.
PMID: 17557751

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