Strong evidence suggests that the risk of many cancers can be reduced by eating lots of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables. The problem is that the amount of cancer fighting compounds varies in each crop harvested, and most people just don't eat enough cancer-preventing vegetables on a consistent basis. Food scientists have isolated indole-3-carbinol and are making it available to the supplement market for the first time at an affordable price. The Life Extension Foundation has been publishing information about indole-3-carbinol since 1983, and a summary of recent studies shows that this vegetable extract:

• Increased the conversion of estradiol to the safer estriol by 50% in twelve healthy people in just one week.
• Prevented the formation of the carcinogenic estrogen metabolie 16-alpha-hydroxy estrone in two months in 17 men and women.
• Stops human cancer cells from growing (54-61%) and provokes the cells to self-destruct (apoptosis).
• Inhibits MCF7 human breast cancer cells from growing by a s much as 90% in culture.
• Inhibits an estrogen metabolite (16-alpha-hydroxyestrone) that prompts breast cancer cells to grow.
• Competes with dioxin for the Ah receptor to help keep dioxin out of cells.
• Prevented chemically-induced breast cancer in rodents by 70-96% Prevented other types of cancer, including aflatoxin-induced liver cancer, leukemia and colon cancer.
• Inhibits free radicals, particularly those that cause the oxidatoin of fat.
• Inhibits the growth of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells by 90%, compared to tamoxifen's 60%, by stopping the cell cycle.
• Stopped the synthesis of DNA for new cells by about 50% in estrogen receptor-negative cells whereas tamoxifen had no significant effect.
• Restores p21 and other proteins tht act as check points during the synthesis of a new cancer cell. Tamoxifen has no effect on p21.
• Virtually eliminated DNA damage and cancer when animals were fed it before exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.
• Reduced DNA damage in breast cells by 91%. Similar results happen in the liver.
• Reduces levels of a major carcinogen in female smokers.