Super-Food Broccoli 'May Help Protect Lungs'

Recent research suggests that a substance found in broccoli may limit the damage that can lead to serious lung disease.
 
Everyone is more than aware of the dangers of smoking, in particular how it is the leading cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - an illness which kills about 30,000 people in the UK every year.
 
Now US scientists have found that sulforapane, a compound found in broccoli, increases the activity of the NRF2 gene in human lung cells, therefore protecting cells from damage causing toxins.
 
In the latest study, the research team found that:-

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      Smokers with advanced COPD had a significantly lower activity of the NRF2 gene.
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      The NRF2 gene is responsible for 'switching on' mechanisms within the body that remove the cell-damaging toxins and pollutants.
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      Disrupting the NRF2 gene caused an early onset of severe emphysema.
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      Increasing the activity of the NRF2 gene may lead to the development of treatments in the prevention of COPD.
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      Sulforapane (the compound found in broccoli) was able to restore the reduced levels of NRF2 in cells exposed to cigarette smoke.

A spokeswoman for the British Lung Foundation commented: "This is an important study for the 3 million people in the UK with COPD because of its findings about the imbalance of oxidants and antioxidants in the lungs".

Click here to read the full study.