Broccoli Sprouts Contain Cancer-Preventing Compounds

Broccoli sprouts contain cancer-preventing compounds known as isothiocyanates (ITCs) which are metabolized to dithiocarbamates (DTCs) in the body. By measuring isothiocyanate and dithiocarbamates in the rats' blood, tissue, and urine, the researchers found that over 70 percent of the broccoli sprout extract's isothiocyanates were excreted into the urine within 12 hours after a single dose, demonstrating high bioavailability. Urinary levels of ITCs were two to three times greater than plasma levels, which indicates that the bladder receives high exposure to the protective compounds. Bladder tissue levels of the compounds were also found to be elevated.

“The bladder is like a storage bag, and cancers in the bladder occur almost entirely along the inner surface, the epithelium, that faces the urine, presumably because this tissue is assaulted all the time by noxious materials in the urine,” . “The ITCs in broccoli sprout extracts after oral ingestion are selectively delivered to the bladder epithelium through urine excretion.”

The study provides more evidence that compounds that are orally consumed have a direct effect on promoting or inhibiting the development of cancer in the bladder.