Protective effects of broccoli as a cancer preventive

LightningIce, 2013
Broccoli is most effective against cancer developments as it contains indole-iii-carbinol and
sulforaphane. These are effective against developments of precancerous cervical dysplasia, vulvar
intraepithelial neoplasia, breast, cervical and endometrial, and colorectal cancers. Indole-iii-carbinol
<I3 !, a derivative from glucobrassicin hydrolysis by myrosinase , "hen mi#ed "ithin an acidic
stomach environment catalyses the reactions. $cid condensation occurs and I3 molecules combine
thus resulting in formations of active molecules of dimer iii,iii%-diindolylmethane <&I'! and a cyclic
trimer <T! "hich inhibits cancer development, it also enhances deto#i(cation en)ymes "ithin liver
and gut.
$ctivities of some phase i and ii en)ymes are upregulated thus enhancing the elimination of
carcinogens, steroid hormones, to#ins and drugs. *o"ever some clinical trail studies have found
the ingest of 13 and dim to be dangerous after an entity has been e#posed to too much
carcinogens, as cancer developments are upregulated instead. This occurs as phase i en)ymes
normally aid the system in +ushing off carcinogens but "hen cancer is already present, they
facilitate it,s developments instead and cataly)e transformations of present pro-carcinogens to
carcinogens. Thus ingest of broccoli as a preventive is most effective in avoiding cancer formations
for entities "ithout cancerous gro"ths, but not upon their onset as a curative.

-vii beta-estradiol upon binding to estrogen receptors, enters the nucleus "here the comple# is
attached to estrogen response elements upon the respective gene,s dna se.uence. /hich results in
recruitment of coactivators, these in turn enhances upregulations of estrogen responsive genes.
0reast and uterus cancers may occur if transcriptions are e#cessively upregulated as cellular
proliferations are enhanced "ithin these estrogen responsive regions, especially in entities "ith high
circulating estrogen .uantums.
Thus "hen such an imbalance occurs, a do"nregulation of estrogen productions can prevent
e#cessive cancer gro"ths. 13 do"nregulates estrogen-responsive genes as it competes for their
coactivators and enhances estrogen receptors degradations. 13 and dim are also able to bring
about cell gro"th 11 cycle arrest, via inhibition of e#pressions of cyclin-dependent 2inase-i and vi
leading to cancer cell apoptosis "hile leaving healthy cell lines in tact3 they also halt cancer cell
invasions "ithin healthy tissues and prevent angiogenesis from occurring, inhibitions of breast
cancer cell metastasis and invasions also occur as matri# metalloproteinase <''4! ii e#pressions
are do"nregulated and e#tracellular signal regulated 2inase <567!89p1mediated gene
transcriptions are halted.
:ther phytonutrients "ithin broccoli that may have protective effects against cancer include boron,
vitamin b vi, vitamin c, calcium, folic acid and (ber, it also contains different types of glucosinolates
that upon hydrolysis produces cancer preventing isothiocyanates.
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