Some vegetables cut bladder cancer risk

BUFFALO, N.Y. (UPI) -- Cruciferous vegetables -- broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale -- may reduce bladder cancer risk, U.S. researchers said.

Susan McCann of Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., found people who consume at least three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables a month had about a 40 percent reduction in risk of bladder cancer.

The finding is remarkable, considering just three servings a month can help keep a bladder free of cancer, McCann said in a statement.

However, although these vegetables are often served cooked, something in their chemical make-up makes them less effective in cooked form when it comes to bladder cancer. Cruciferous vegetables eaten raw are more effective in protecting against bladder cancer, McCann said.

Previous studies have suggested that cruciferous vegetables help regulate a complex system of bodily enzymes that defend against cancer. Components of these vegetables have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells in various cell, tissue and animal models, including tumors of the breast, endometrium, lung, colon, liver, colon and cervix, the American Institute for Cancer Research said.