
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 15, 1992                   TAG: 9203150108
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: BALTIMORE                                LENGTH: Short

BROCCOLI FIGHTS CANCER, STUDY SAYS

In a discovery that should delight mothers everywhere, a team of Johns Hopkins researchers has discovered that a potent chemical found in broccoli and related vegetables appears to boost the cancer-fighting abilities of human and animal cells.

And the news gets better. Researchers believe that the natural compound may not be particular about the types of cancer it prevents - possibly guarding against colon and prostate cancers as well as the breast cancers that strike post-menopausal women.

Dr. Paul Talalay, a molecular pharmacologist who directed the research, said the chemical known as sulforaphane boosts the production of an important enzyme that is known to neutralize carcinogens before they trigger tumor growth.

The finding, to be published in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was based on laboratory observations. Put simply, scientists extracted the chemical from broccoli and then watched what happened when they applied it to cells grown in a dish. In a press briefing Friday, Talalay cautioned that several years of research on animals and - ultimately - humans would be needed before the team can say conclusively that broccoli prevents cancer.

Nor was he ready to advise Americans to eat a particular "dose" of broccoli. But that day may not be too far off, he said.

"In my opinion, when we have a better handle on the chemistry, we will be able to come up with more rational [dietary] guidelines," Talalay said. "What we're able to say is that we've found in one vegetable a very potent compound that behaves as if it should be an anti-carcinogen."

by CNB