Raw Cruciferous Vegetables Cut Cancer Risk

In a previous entry, I have already pointed out the anti-cancer properties of cruciferous vegetables — cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and many others.

However, it seems that while these veggies are rich in anti-cancer compounds called isothiocyanates, it is best to eat them raw.

“Cooking can reduce 60 to 90 percent of ITCs,” says Li Tang, M.D., Ph.D. of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and lead researcher on this study. “Heating destroys the enzyme that converts the precursor glucosinolates into ITCs, and also destroys ITCs already formed, which is why you need to eat raw cruciferous vegetables to receive the food’s maximum benefit.”

A vote in favor of raw foodism?

This study has been presented during the American Association for Cancer Research’s Sixth Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention.