Brassica, (Chinese cabbage) and breast cancer:
A diet rich in Brassica, Chinese cabbage appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer. A case control investigation was done for risk of breast cancer among 337 women in Shanghai, China with a diet rich in Brassica, Chinese cabbage. Urine samples were take from each women and levels of isothiocyanates (ITC), or the byproduct formed as the body metabolizes Brassica, were measured. Women estimated to consume the largest amounts of Brassica showed an 18% lower risk of breast cancer, and a 32% lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. In the same group of Chinese women, when researchers assessed exposure to brassica by urinary excretion, women who excreted the most ITC later developed only half as much breast cancer as women who excreted the least. The study concluded that Chinese women who consumed lots of Brassica vegetables, as measured by urinary ITC biomarker, significantly reduced their breast cancer risk. (11)