Eating more cabbage, cauliflower may lower risk of colon cancer, study finds

A new study has found that eating cruciferous (relating to or denoting plants of the cabbage family) vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower may help reduce the risk of colon cancer, the third most common cancer worldwide, as per the study published in BMC Gastroenterology journal.

In the research named ‘Cruciferous vegetables intake and risk of colon cancer: a dose–response meta-analysis’, the researchers reviewed 17 studies involving nearly 1,00,000 people and discovered that those who ate higher amounts of cruciferous vegetables had about a 20% lower risk of developing colon cancer compared to those who ate the least. 

The analysis also showed that the more of these vegetables people consumed, the lower their risk appeared to be, though the pattern was not strictly linear.

Scientists believe the protective effect may come from natural compounds in these vegetables, which can block carcinogens, promote the death of cancer cells, and slow tumour growth.

However, the researchers caution that the findings should be interpreted carefully. The studies varied in design and methods of measuring diet, and other lifestyle factors could also have influenced the results.