Just thought I’d share some news from UC Berkeley regarding a breakthrough discovery in nutritional immunology.

Scientists have recently uncovered that Diindolylmethane from broccoli is a potent activator of the immune response system with potent anti-cancer properties, explaining in part why epidemeological studies have indicated that people who consume a lot of Brassica vegetables have a lower risk of cancer.

Regards,

Mike

References:

http://www.diindolylmethane.org/

http://www.activamune.com/diindolylmethane_dim_immune_activation_data_center.htm

Susan - it can be really hard to eat better - I do ok now, but I struggle at times to resist junk food. I definitely think that that we learn a lot of it as kids. My parents tried to feed me nutritious food, but that was still at a time when many people like us were eating lots of fried, fatty, salty foods. Its really hard not to eat like that when you are used to it.

I just had this conversation with my partner last night. His cholesterol is bad and he’s hungry all the time. He eats a high-sugar, refined carb breakfast — and he’s gaining weight. I brought up all the stuff about eating a good breakfast and he just blew me off. I dunno.

I think we get bad food habits as kids, along with the idea that we should eat what we like. Very depressing!

I don’t understand why so few of us eat enough fruits and vegetables. Large studies have shown that eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day halves the risk of cancer. Perhaps we carry the magical thinking we accuse our teens of. It will happen to someone else. I see so many educated, health conscious people who eat terribly. They don’t have the time…until something like cancer strikes.

I was having a lot of “does not compute” moments listening to the news last week. We are expected to have a shortage of oncologists in 2020 to care for the one in nineteen individuals suffering from cancer. We know that 80 to 95 percent of cancers have an environmental component and are, in theory anyway, preventable. Diet plays a large role in that. I keep hearing about how we need to train more oncologists and invest more into “finding the cure”. Why do we hear so little about simple measures to prevent cancer in the first place. I have to run and prepare a three berry smoothie for my children! Thanks for your research and raising awareness!

Lynne Eldridge M.D.
Author, “Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time, Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer”
http://www.avoidcancernow.com