Broccoli may help to beat cancer

Published on 13/12/2012 00:00

A VEGETABLE famously hated by children contains a compound that may assist the treatment of childhood leukaemia, research suggests.

Scientists exposed leukaemia and healthy cells originating from children to a purified form of the compound sulphorophane, which is found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. They discovered that it can kill acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells.

While many of the cancer cells died, the healthy cells were unaffected, the researchers reported in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE. Study leader Dr Daniel Lacorazza, from Bayor College of Medicine in the US, believes that – after further research – sulphorophane could become a leukaemia treatment option alongside other therapies.