Broccoli-Derived Pill May Help Ward Off Cancer
(New York, Reuters Health, 8/19/02)

Sulforaphane, a chemical known to boost the body's ability to fight cancer by promoting the activity of detoxifying enzymes, is found in broccoli, brussels sprouts and other cruciferous plants. Chemically produced sulphoraphane, however, is expensive and can be toxic. Now Dr. Jerry Kosmeder of the University of Illinois and colleagues have developed oxomate, which is an enhanced form of sulphoraphane that is cheaper and less toxic. In preliminary research, oxomate produced a 50% reduction in breast tumors in female rats that had been subjected to cancer- inducing chemicals.