You can prevent cancer by eating more vegetables, and specifically more cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
More than half of all cancers in US adults are likely caused by poor diet, and many others develop because we’re exposed to a gruesome soup of environmental toxins in our food, air, and water.
Many of us are also genetically deficient when it comes to the internal detoxification systems that clear these toxins from our bodies, which may explain why cancer seems to run in some families.
The cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that enhance our detox systems. These compounds are called glucosinolates, and they transform to indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and diindolylmethane (DIM). Both enhance the liver’s enzyme detox system, transforming potential carcinogens into harmless waste products.
As a bonus for women, I3C and DIM also promote healthy metabolism of estrogen.
The best way to eat cruciferous veggies? Fresh, daily, raw or lightly cooked.
If you really don’t like this family of vegetables, here’s a supplement that provides concentrated glucosinolates. Taking it might be a good idea if you’re from a cancer-prone family and haven’t grown beyond your childhood aversion of broccoli.