New research has found that eating broccoli and celery can lower the risk of having breast cancer.
A group of experts from the University of Missouri learned that these tasty veggies contain a natural compound that can prevent breast cancer. The researchers found that broccoli and celery are high in luteolin.
Breast cancer cells, when they mature, have properties similar to stem cells, making them difficult to cure. To monitor these stem cell-like properties, experts used the compound luteolin. They then found that the maturing breast cancer cells had started to quickly decrease.
Breast cancer can occur when women who reach the menopausal stage receive hormonal therapies. Natural estrogen and progestin are present in hormonal therapy, increasing the risk of breast cancer. The risk may be decreased by eating a fair amount of broccoli and celery.
"In most circumstances, hormone replacement therapies improve the lives of menopausal women and achieve excellent results," stated Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis, who is also a biomedical sciences professor at the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
While eating fair amounts of broccoli and celery may help decrease the risk of breast cancer because of their high luteolin content, the researchers also found that injecting luteolin into the bloodstream to directly target breast cancer cells may demonstrate benefits to their maximum effect. With luteolin, the vessels that feed the cancer cells are reduced.
The early stages of the research look promising. If this study becomes successful in the future, the researchers will request permission from the federal government to move to an investigative new drug stage for human drug development. If the investigative new drug stage in turn becomes successful, the researchers will be conducting clinical trials in humans, which could further lead to a new effective and efficient way to treat women with breast cancer and those who have been taking hormonal therapy.
Since the research is still in its initial stages and breast cancer patients are waiting for a new drug to treat the potentially lethal disease, it wouldn't hurt to help yourself to a hefty serving of broccoli or celery, or both, when you can.
Photo: Paul Waite | Flickr
