another reason to eat your broccoli/brussel sprouts!

[Lani]

1: Mol Endocrinol. 2006 Aug 10; [Epub ahead of print] Links
Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) selectively uncouples expression and activity of estrogen receptor subtypes in human breast cancer cells.

Sundar SN,
Kerekatte V,
Equinozio CN,
Doan VB,
Bjeldanes LF,
Firestone GL.
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Cancer Research Laboratory, and Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200.
Estrogen responsive breast cancer cells, such as MCF7 and T47D cells, express both estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta). Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) strongly down-regulated ERalpha protein and transcript levels, without altering the level of ERbeta protein, in both cell lines. In cells transfected with the ERalpha promoter linked to a luciferase gene reporter, I3C ablated ERalphapromoter activity. Propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) is a highly selective ERalphaagonist, whereas, 17beta-estradiol (E) activates both ERalpha and ERbeta. I3C treatment inhibited the PPT and E induced proliferation of breast cancer cells, disrupted the PPT and E stimulation of estrogen response element (ERE) driven reporter plasmid activity as well as of endogeneous progesterone receptor transcripts. Using an in vitro ERE binding assay, I3C was shown to inhibit the level of functional ERalpha, and stimulated the level of ERE binding ERbetaeven though the protein levels of this receptor remained constant. In ERalpha-/ERbeta+ MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, I3C treatment stimulated a six fold increase in binding of ERbeta to the ERE. I3C also induced ERE and AP-1 driven reporter plasmid activities in the absence of an estrogen receptor agonist suggesting that ERbeta is activated in indole treated cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the expression and function of ERalpha and ERbetacan be uncoupled by I3C with a key cellular consequence being a significantly higher ERbeta:ERalpha ratio that is generally highly associated with anti-proliferative status of human breast cancer cells.
PMID: 16901971 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Lani]

so all the medicalese means it enhances the ratio of antiproliferative estrogen beta receptors to the proliferative estrogen alpha receptors to keep breast cancer cells from multiplying and tumors from growing

[RhondaH]

Are brussel sprouts OUT of season as I rotate these with my broccoli, cauliflower, brocco sprouts and I have been unable to find ANY lately?

Rhonda

[karenann]

Rhonda,

I am almost certain that Trader Joe's has frozen brussel sprouts year round and they are quite tasty.

Karen

[Becky]

Brussels sprouts are out of season. All cruiferious veggies (broccoli and cauliflower included) are Spring and Fall crops. They like the cooler temperatures. However, brussels sprouts are more sensitive (and not as popular) so there isn't as much coming out of California or S. America.


But frozen are just as good (but can't be roasted with olive oil, garlic and kosher salt as easily as the fresh - I love em this way)

Kind regards

Becky

[sarah]

I ate tons of broccoli and brussel sprouts all my life and got cancer so I must say I look at diet issues with a grain of salt not that I don't think it's a good idea to eat sensibly but food alone is not the solution - at least not for me. I was thin and a vegetarian for 7 years never much of a meat eater and.... yet so maybe food works for others but not me. Since my recurrence and chemo I've gained 15 lbs and I eat what I like - I still love vegetables and salad.

[chrisy]

Ok, so as I try to fumble through this, it appears that this relates to estrogen sensitive (ER+) cancer. I love broccoli and even brussels sprouts, so I'm ok with eating them EVEN if it won't "cure" my cancer...but would be bummed if it was bad for me! Might as well just eat (gasp!) potato chips!
Any thoughts on this?

[R.B.]

Diet can alter genetic expression. Change in genetic expression alters the way the body functions.

As far as disease goes there are some general pointers that suggest that our western excessive variation from the hunter gather early farmer type diet are responsibile at least in part for the increase in western diseases.

See posts on omega three six greek diet fructose etc.

I think it is important not to get too hung up on individual components.

I have just demolished a 100gram bar of 75% coco dark chocolate that would have usually lasted several days a square here and there. Do I feel better for it no. Did I enjoy it - yes.


RB

[Chelee]

Sarahdalton, I'm with you on this one. I too ate TONS of broccoli throughout my life up until the day I was DX with bc. I LOVE broccoli. Sometimes for lunch I would stop in just for a bowl of broccoli and then on my way. Sure didn't help me any. Brussel sprouts is another story...I don't like those.

But its hard to take to much of this seriously as I see too many people that have eaten so healthy their entire life and still end up with cancer. I do believe in eating healthy foods...but if I want a goody...I have it.

Chelee

[Jean]

Coming from a Wonderful Italian Mother who cooked Broccoli with Olive Oil
we grew up with all the best veggie's.... and fresh fish - my family comes from the Med. area....I continue to serve my family to this day. I think diet plays a major role but - it is not the only role. Since I did get bc which everyone in my family was shocked....since I was so careful with my diet for the past 35 yrs. We do our best each day and pray real hard.

Jean

[Kaye]

I was aware of this for the past few years. I read about indol-3 carbinol in a research article. I googled that along with the word diet and was directed to tons of articles about cruciferous vegetables. I started eating them regularly but have slacked off as of late due to less ease of availability. There was a cafeteria where I previously worked with a great salad bar with lots of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. I would take a plate of that and nuke it for a few minutes (since I am not at all fond of most raw veggies). I need to get back to doing that.

We need to keep in mind that there are 3 main causes of cancer:

1. Diet/Exercise/Lifestyle

2. Heredity

3. Radiation from all kinds of different sources. The sun, x-rays, radon, etc.

Eating cole crops will help prevent cancers that fall into the first category, but will not do much to stop the ones which fall into the other two categories.

The risk of developing a potentially fatal cancer over a lifetime is 1 out of 3.

In essence, by end of everyone's lifetime, they will die from one of these things, in descending order:

1. Heart and artery disease/stroke

2. Cancer

3. everything else such as falls, car accidents, influenza, infections, Alzheimers, etc.

[Ellie F]

Yes but end of a lifetime comes sooner for some than others! Surely anything we can do to reduce risks of premature death has to be worth considering.

[Laurel]

Chrissy,

Those chips you mentioned? Eat 'em, but don't forget the beer!