Eat More Fruits and Veggies!

For a myriad of reasons already known, eating a vegetablebased
diet is one of the most healthful things you can do for
your body.
Scientists from the University of Alabama, Birmingham
(UAB), showed that, in particular, vegetables such as
broccoli and cabbage are filled with compounds that could
help reverse or prevent cancers and other aging-related
diseases as part of the “epigenetics diet.”
Epigenetics is the study of the changes in human gene
expressions over time—changes that can cause cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, asthma, heart disease and
obesity. Simply put, diet, stress, nurturing, our behavioral
habits and even environmental exposures may change gene
activity without altering the actual sequence of our genes.
Medical experts believe that elements such as poor nutrition
choices, pesticides and exposures to synthetic compounds
can trigger a chemical change in the body that mobilizes
molecules called a methyl group (a basic unit in organic
chemistry). This methyl group attaches to the control
segment of a gene and either silences or activates the gene,
causing it to deviate from its intended purpose.
“Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables, and
she was right,” said co-author Trygve Tollefsbol, PhD, DO,
biology professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences,
in a press release. “But now we better understand why she
was right; compounds in many of these foods suppress gene
aberrations that over time cause fatal diseases.”
In recent years, epigenetics research worldwide has
identified specific food compounds that inhibit negative
epigenetic effects. Such foods include soybeans, cauliflower,
broccoli and cabbage with green tea, fava beans, kale, grapes
and the spice turmeric rounding out the diet.
For example, Meeran says sipping tea compounds called
polyphenols in daily amounts that are equivalent to
approximately three cups of green tea has been shown to
reverse breast cancer in laboratory mice by suppressing the
gene that triggers the disease. Similarly, a daily cup of
broccoli sprouts, in which sulforaphane is an active
compound, has been shown to reduce the risk of developing
many cancers.
“Our review article shows the epigenetics diet foods can, at
the very least, help us lead healthier lives.” Tollefsbol said.