January 6, 2004 – A substance produced naturally by beets, broccoli and mustard greens has been turned into a powerful anti-cancer weapon by American researchers.
Various studies already suggested that the substance in question, diindolylmethane (DIM), may have interesting anticancer properties. After being slightly modified in the laboratory, DIM has been shown to be able, in in vitro tests, to slow the growth of cancers of the pancreas, colon, bladder and ovaries.
Tests carried out on animals subsequently seemed to confirm this efficacy, without any notable side effects being detected.
The researchers have since obtained a patent to protect their modified version of DIM, and the product is now available as a dietary supplement. Clinical studies should be conducted shortly to further measure its effectiveness in humans.
On a related note, a researcher at the Cancer Institute at the University of Pittsburgh recently won a grant of US $ 1.7 million to study the anticancer properties of isothiocyanates, another substance found in broccoli. .
In Quebec, several researchers, including Dr. Richard Béliveau, are seeking to better understand the anticancer substances that certain foods seem to contain.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
From eurekalert.org; December 22, 2003 and January 5, 2004.