Cancer is not a single disease; it is more than 200. The researchers are working not only to overcome it but also to prevent it. Most researchers feel that there is enough information available right now to impact it not only in terms of total numbers, but in terms of prevention. There are things we can do to prevent cancer for ourselves, they are telling us.

Our “daily bread” has a powerful effect on our health and quality of life. Regardless where the cancer is in your body, the foods that prevent and deter cancer are pretty much the same. Grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits all have the nutrients we need to keep us healthy. They also have cancer-fighting substances like phytochemicals and pectin. These substances strengthen immune function, an important factor in the prevention of cancer in the first place. They also kill off cancer-causing substances before they can take hold.

However, no food has been found to be more beneficial in keeping our immune systems strong and our bodies free from cancer than broccoli sprouts. Sprouts from broccoli seeds have high amounts of natural cancer-fighting compounds, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. They report that 3-day old broccoli sprouts have exceptionally high amounts of phytochemicals, for example.

The breakdown in food reserves that occurs as the seeds sprout changes the nutrient composition in broccoli sprouts. Several things affect this: length of sprouting period, the temperature under which they’re sprouted, amount of light available to the plant, the water used, the age of the seeds, and the genetic characteristics of the seeds themselves. If you decide to sprout your own broccoli, you may want to experiment with these factors.

It's not news to scientists that vegetables in the cabbage family benefit health. However, there are new discoveries regarding those benefits and the reduction in the risk of disease that comes from eating them.

They don't seem to be offered commercially right now. However, you can get the seeds from a variety of seed growers online. A small amount of seeds go a long way. According to Dr. Mercola (article here), one pound of seeds will make over ten pounds of sprouts. He reports that “this translates into as much cancer-protecting phytochemicals as half a ton of broccoli.” The sprouts are more nutritious when eaten raw, and they spice up a salad. (He believes that there are similar benefits from many other vegetables when eaten as sprouts.)

How do broccoli sprouts taste? Not like the broccoli we’re accustomed to eating (and smelling while it cooks!). They have a mildly peppery taste.

Over 20 years of research by Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins has demonstrated that high amounts of sulforaphane such as that found in some vegetables such as broccoli, helps support antioxidants, including the C vitamins and vitamin E. Dr. Talalay feels that this is just one example of the synergy we can find in nature if we look for it.

But there's more. Dr. Talalay's researchers found that tender shoots of broccoli at the 3-day stage contained large amounts of yet another cancer fighter in addition to sulforaphane in high concentration, 20 to 50 times more than broccoli that is planted and allowed to mature.

The highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any food per unit of calorie, sprouts make them available in a form that is easy to assimilate and digest. Besides, they improve the digestion. Your whole body works better when sprouts are added to the diet, but particularly the digestive system. Add to that, they are deliciously fresh and colorful as compared to supermarket produce, frozen foods, or canned vegetables.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari