Cruciferous Vegetables Such as Broccoli and Cabbage May Protect Against Head and Neck Cancers

Head and neck cancers include the lips, inner cheeks, gums, palate, tongue, floor of the mouth, pharynx, nostril skin and nasal lining, larynx and salivary glands. Their development is largely associated with chemical carcinogens such as alcohol and tobacco, and HPV infection. A study in Cancer Prevention Research suggests a substance called sulforan in broccoli, cabbage and similar vegetables may help prevent these cancers.

Recent research found broccoli, cabbage and related vegetables prevent chronic inflammation and protect cells against harmful chemicals, oxidative stress and cancer. Combining these findings, the Cancer Prevention Research study demonstrated potential protective effects of cruciferous vegetables.

The study discovered that these protective effects occur through glucoraphanin's breakdown product, sulforaphane . It acts by increasing NRF2 protein production and suppressing STAT3. NRF2 supports oxidative stress and DNA repair in cells and protects against cancer and cardiovascular disease. STAT3 supports cell growth, development and division; blocking its production slows cancer cell growth and division.

Studies using different sulforaphane doses in healthy volunteers and head and neck cancer patients found low doses protected cells against environmental carcinogens and oxidative stress, while high doses triggered death in head and neck cancer cells and shrank tongue tumors in mice.

In conclusion, sulforaphane-containing vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage protect against cancer and offer protection to patients at risk of head and neck cancer from environmental carcinogens and smoking. Their rich nutritional content (A,B,C,E vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium and phosphorus), skin protection, anti-inflammatory effects, bodily metabolism, availability and cost make them attractive cancer-prevention options.