Broccoli and Cancer - the Health
Benefits of Indole 3 carbinol
How A Health Chemical Found In Broccoli Can Help Prevent Cancer Cells From Spreading By As Much As 90%
I have been taking this supplement twice a day for the past two years and I am certain it has helped enormously in regaining my health. It is available only in certain vitamin outlets - so email me if you want more information.
Scientists have discovered that cruciferous vegetables - such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and turnips - are brimming with a natural chemical that can significantly lower your risk of cancer. The name of this extraordinary chemical is Indole-3-Carbinol, or I3C for short.
The reason I3C is thought to provide such an effective defence against the disease is its ability to balance the two main chemical forms of the hormone oestrogen - 'estradiol' and 'estriol'.
'Estradiol' is a particularly potent form of oestrogen that's been strongly linked to cancer (especially breast and prostate cancer), unlike the weaker form 'estriol' which doesn't pose a risk.
Over the past few years, mounting research has shown that supplementing with I3C can reduce 'estradiol' levels and increase those of 'estriol', thereby significantly decreasing the threat of breast or prostate cancer.
Studies have demonstrated that Indole-3-Carbinol encourages a process, which involves the elimination of damaged cells from your body.
Not only that, but researchers have also found that Indole-3-Carbinol can help prevent cancer cells from growing - inhibiting cancer cells by an extraordinary 90 per cent in some cases.
Indole-3-Carbinol works better than over 80 conventional drugs for breast cancer
One conventional drug that doctors commonly use to treat breast cancer is Tamoxifen. A drug that has been used in helping to prevent cancerous breast cells from dividing.
However, scientists have found that Tamoxifen is not successful in fighting against all stages of breast cancer. For example, the drug is unable to stimulate certain genes, which are known to restrict cancerous cells from spreading.
This is why I3C is fast proving to have a distinct health advantage over Tamoxifen. Researchers comparing the benefits of the drug to those of Indole-3-Carbinol, observed that I3C not only prevents cancerous cells in the breast from multiplying like Tamoxifen does, but it possesses additional benefits too.
For example, certain specific breast cancer cells treated with Indole-3-Carbinol stopped dividing immediately, whereas those treated with Tamoxifen remained unaffected. It was also found to stimulate a special gene called p21, which can successfully halt the spread of cancer, whereas Tamoxifen has no effect on this gene at all
In addition, I3C is far safer than Tamoxifen, which can cause unpleasant side-effects such as hot flushes, vaginal bleeding, headache, rashes, fluid retention and even hair loss.
In fact, research has shown that Indole-3-Carbinol is more effective than over 80 different drugs commonly used to treat the disease. Another benefit is that, following several chemical processes, it's transformed in your bowel into a substance called Di-Indolyl Methane (DIM) -another potent anti-breast cancer agent.
Indole-3-Carbinol helps prevent prostate cancer from spreading
Worryingly, prostate cancer is fast becoming one of the most prevalent types of cancer to affect men. This has made research into new treatments even more necessary than ever before.
Fortunately, scientists have discovered that I3C can both reduce the risk of prostate cancer and help treat the disease once it has already developed. It helps by encouraging the elimination of damaged cells from your prostate without destroying healthy cells
This allows the healthy cells to remain and perform their important functions undisturbed. Researchers have also found that I3C helps prevent prostate cancer cells from multiplying.
The exact mechanism by which Indole-3-Carbinol works to achieve these spectacular results is still unknown. This is because research into the effects of I3C on prostate cancer is not as extensive so far as that carried out into its effects on breast cancer. However, health studies in this area are ongoing.
It may also guard against chronic diseases like dementia and diabetes. The benefits of I3C are not confined to fighting against breast or prostate cancer alone. It's also a potent antioxidant that can help ward off age-related disease.
It is able to do this by destroying any free radical toxins it encounters circulating in your blood stream. It also protects your DNA against a free radical attack, thereby preventing premature ageing and chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and dementia.
In the process of studying the antioxidant health benefits, scientists also uncovered yet another protective action it possesses. They found that Indole-3-Carbinol helps to stimulate and protect your liver enzymes, making it much easier for your liver to get rid of harmful toxins and poisons.
Supplementing with I3C is a much better option than eating five cabbages a day! In order to get the equivalent of a standard 200mg capsule of Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), you would need to eat five small, whole cabbages!
So, if you want to obtain the full range of health benefits Indole-3-Carbinol can provide, it's recommended that you take it in supplement form in addition to eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli.
However, it's important that you only take it under medical supervision if you have cancer, especially if you're already on medication.
The recommended dosage for women is 200mg twice a day. Pregnant women should not take I3C under any circumstances, as their pregnancy could be adversely affected.
For men the recommended dosage is 200mg three times a day. In addition it's best for both men and women to avoid taking antacid medication at the same time as taking Indole-3-Carbinol.
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