The Power of Cruciferous…Diet and Cancer…

Here are some excerpts from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, whose dietary protocol I have followed faithfully for 7 (!) years now — BEST thing EVER, I’ve done for my health; and, of course, I do the vegan version (which is the ultimate dietary protocol )

But first:

“To help you remember the importance of raw vegetables, put a big sign on your refrigerator that says,

‘The Salad is the Main Dish.‘”
“Eating a huge, delicious salad is the secret to successful weight control and a long healthy life.” _Dr. Fuhrman, from Eat To Live

DR. FUHRMAN’S TOP 30 SUPERFOODS-Exerption, EatRightAmerica.com

—————————–

These exerpts are specifically from his blog, “Disease Proof,” regarding cancer and diet:

Fuhrman on Cruciferous and Cancers:

“Scientific research has shown a strong positive association between the consumption of green vegetables and a reduction of all the leading causes of death in humans.1 Cruciferous vegetables—in particular broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy, collards, watercress, and arugula, to name a few—are loaded with disease-protecting micronutrients and powerful compounds that promote detoxification.”Excerption, Disease Proof

“Substances newly discovered in broccoli cabbage sprouts sweep toxins out of cells. Substances found in nuts and beans prevent damage to our cells’ DNA. Other compounds in beets, peppers, and tomatoes fight cancerous changes in cells. Oranges and apples protect our blood vessels from damage that could lead to heart disease.”
Excerption, Disease Proof

“Green vegetables have demonstrated the most dramatic protection against cancer. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, collards, arugala, watercress, and cabbage) contain a symphony of phytonutrients with potent anti-cancer effects.
Isothiocyanates (ITCs), which are perhaps the best studied, have been shown to provide protection against environmental carcinogen exposure by inducing detoxification pathways, thereby neutralizing potential carcinogens. These vegetables also contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer by decreasing estrogen activity.
Important recent studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables and the compounds they contain can do the following:

* halt the growth of breast cancer cells1
* dramatically reduce the risk of colon cancer2
* prevent the replication of prostate cancer cells and induce death of cancerous cells3
* inhibit the progression of lung cancer4

_Excerption, Disease Proof

“Studies have repeatedly shown the correlation between consumption of raw vegetables and fresh fruits and a lower incidence of various cancers, including those of the breast, colon, rectum, lung, stomach, prostate, and pancreas.3 This means that your risk of cancer decreases with an increased intake of fruits and vegetables, and the earlier in life you start eating large amounts of these foods, the more protection you get…”
_Excerption, Disease Proof

“Cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals that have unique abilities to modify human hormones, detoxify compounds, and prevent toxic compounds from binding to human DNA, preventing toxins from causing DNA damage that could lead to cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables are unique in that they are rich sources of sulfur-containing compounds known as glucosinolates. It is the presence of glucosinolates that makes a vegetable earn the designation of cruciferous. There have been over 120 glucosinolates identified. These compounds help produce other healthful compounds, which is important since humans do not absorb glucosinolates well.

Myrosinase is an enzyme that is compartmentalized (separated) in the cell walls of cruciferous vegetables. It is released only when the cell walls are damaged (for example, via chewing, chopping, blending, or juicing), at which point it catalyzes the conversion of glucosinolates into isothiocyanates (ITCs) such as indole 3-carbonole. These ITCs are well absorbed and have potent and diverse beneficial effects in humans and other animals.

Myrosinase is deactivated by cooking. The more the food is heated, the more is lost. As a result, fewer isothiocyanates are produced when we cook and overcook these vegetables. Maximum levels of these highly potent anticancer compounds are available from raw vegetables that are somewhat bitter, such as broccoli sprouts, watercress, and arugula.The very high levels of isothiocyanates (ITCs) produced by these foods give that “bitter” taste. However, myrosinase also is produced by the gut flora, so absorption of compounds derived from cruciferous vegetables is still possible from cooked greens.

Sulforaphane, broccoli’s much studied compound, is an isothiocyanate that has a unique mechanism of action. This compound blocks chemical-initiated tumor formation and induces cell cycle arrest in abnormal cells, meaning that it inhibits growth and induces cell death in cells with early cancerous changes in a dose-dependent manner (i.e., the more you eat, the better). Recent studies show that the amount of sulforaphane derived from eating a reasonable amount of broccoli can have dramatic effects to protect against colon cancer.” Excerption, Disease Proof

“Phytochemicals, or plant-derived chemicals, occur naturally in plants (phyto means “plant”). These nutrients, which scientists are just starting to discover and name, have tremendously beneficial effects on human physiology. The effects of our not consuming sufficient amounts of them are even more astounding–premature death from cancer and atherosclerosis.”Excerption, Disease Proof

“Cancer is a bizarre end-stage disease that responds in an unpredictable fashion, but dietary protocols that include vegetable juicing and high intake of cruciferous vegetables offer the most potential for treatment and for increasing the survival of cancer patients.”

Read here for more.

Breast, Colon, Lung Cancers and the power of Broccoli compounds

And here is Dr. Fuhrman’s Famous Anti-Cancer Soup AND his ANTI-CANCER PROTOCOL, he so generously posted — all to get you started!

Kale and Collards
Swiss Chard
Broccoli rabe
3 stalks leeks
Broccoli sprouts
Mushrooms diced
3 carrots, diced
3 parsnips, diced
4 zucchini
1/2 C Split peas
1/2 C Lentils
1/2  C Adzuki beans
3 onions
10 oz. celery juice
20 oz. carrot juice
30 oz water
2 TB Vogue – Vegebase  (Whole Foods will have this)

-Fill large pot with water, juices, and two tablespoons of VegeBase.
-Put peeled onions, unpeeled zucchinis, carefully cleaned leeks and beans in large pot, and simmer until zucchinis, leeks & onions are soft enough to blend or food process.
-While waiting for veggies to soften in pot, blend or food process all other ingredients until smooth. (I use half of the bunches of greens.)
-You will need a big bowl to put them in while waiting for zucchini, onions, and leeks to soften for food processing.
-When zucchini, onions and leeks are soft, blend or food process them.
-Put everything in the pot and simmer on low for 1.5 hours.

Making Green soup takes some time–but if you have a really big pot you can cook two weeks’ worth at once. If you can’t find or are missing an ingredient or two it really will not matter. Recipe adaptation by Janine Kroner; excerption, Disease Proof.

—-

“While fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of nutrients, the consumption of vegetables is more helpful in reducing cancer because they contain much higher amounts of cancer-protective compounds–especially green vegetables. Among these green vegetables, the cruciferous family has demonstrated the most dramatic protection against cancer. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, collards, arugala, watercress, and cabbage) contain a symphony of phytonutrients with potent anti-cancer effects.

Isothiocyanates (ITCs), which are perhaps the best studied, have been shown to provide protection against environmental carcinogen exposure by inducing detoxification pathways, thereby neutralizing potential carcinogens. These vegetables also contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer by decreasing estrogen activity.

Important recent studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables
and the compounds they contain can do the following:

* halt the growth of breast cancer cells1
* dramatically reduce the risk of colon cancer2
* prevent the replication of prostate cancer cells and induce death of cancerous cells3
* inhibit the progression of lung cancer4

Excerption, Disease Proof

OH, and don’t think you can supplement your way to health with concentrated extracts of flavonoids or “nutrients” from broccoli or other greens or any of the magikal potions of today — IT WON’T WORK!

A thousand THANK YOU’s, Dr. Fuhrman

——————-

Here are some of my own pictures of cruciferous; some, you may not think of straight away as cruciferous: Here’s a reminder  🙂  Look for some of these in your produce section:

Watercress Tree :):

Radish Greens! Don’t throw them away!! *

Hint: if your market has all the green tops cut off of some of the nutritious veggies, get friendly with your produce clerk! Ask if they can look in the back for any they’ve cut off, or if they can save them for you…say, you will pick them up on Wednesdays, etc. Some are happy to do it. You may get them free, depending on the store, the management, or the produce clerks 😀 *

Broccoli Sprouts:

Ravishing Radishes:

Oh, So Fabulous Broccoli Greens! (Got these from the farmer’s market. You can ask them, also, if they have any of the greens there (usually in a ‘throw-away’ box behind the stand) with their broccoli. Most often, they give it away! But I always pay them something for it…well, usually ;D

Turnip Greens SUper nutritious:

Watermelon Radish (just so gorgeous):

Baby Bok Choi (growing on my balcony!) ANY — one of the cruciferous cabbages, highest on the nutrient-density list:

Dinosaur or Italian Kale (baby version):

Ahh, behold the beauty: Orange Cauliflower:

Oh, and have you tried KOHLRABI?! Delicious! Oh, you must, you must; no exception! The greens AND the bulbs (yes, the bulbs have the cancer-fighting components!) Sweet, too. Comes in a purple variety as well; it’s not as sweet. Looks like a root, but it’s not; it’s — yep — a mighty cruciferous!

Oh, boi, more Choi ;^D

Don’t think you can get THAT many greens in your diet? Hmph. Think again!

Yep, pull out the blender (a power blender*is optimal) and make yourself a Green Smoothie. You’ll be AMAZED at how many greens you can get this way — and, yes, it’s all gonna be absorbed and utilized by your body. Trust me: You’ll know it’s workin’!! Seriously…if you do nothing else, add a HUGE green smoothie _every day_ (make sure to use LOTS of leafies and not just a few leaves to a ton of fruit!) to your life, and you will become healthier (and lose weight without trying).

How about some of my “BRAWcamole”?

Hey, you can even dry the leafies for a crunchy snack! Grind that up to a powder (make a salt sub or your own veg-broth powder) and add to soups or smoothies, even.
Curly Kale:

OR, Try My Kale Chips recipe!!!

*

More radishes, Watercress, and Oh, please, DO NOT forget Collards! One of the more inexpensive greens, and it’s at the top of the nutrient-density list!!

Just some more beautiful cabbages (all from the cabbage family are cruciferous, sprouts too!): White Cauliflower and Purple Cabbage:

SO. The take home message, Folks…EAT YOUR GREENS! Get ’em any way you have to

_Pox